BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


CU  0  rt$2  OLUJ  Out] 

Document  No.  9. 


IX  THE  ASSEMBLY.]  [SESSION  1854. 


REPORT 


ON  THE 


GEOLOGY  OF  THE  COAST  MOUNTAINS, 


AND  PART  OF  THE 


SIERRA    NEVADA 


EMBRACING  THEIR  INDUSTRIAL 


RESOURCES  IN  AGRICULTURE  AND  MINING, 


BY  DR.  JOHN  B.  TRASK. 


[B.  B.  REDDING,  STATE  PRINTER. 


F  <tr  6 


T 


BANCROFT 


To  His  EXCELLENCE, 

JOHN  BIGLEB, 

Governor  of  the  State  of  California. 

<*> 

_    Pursuant  to  resolution  of  Assembly,  passed  Feb.  ' — ,  1854,  I  have  the 

^_honor  herewith  to  submit  the  accompanying  report  on  the  Geology  of 

Xthat  portion  of  the  State,  authorized  by  Joint  Resolution  of  Senate  and 

Assembly  of  the  fourth  session,  all  of  which,  with  accompanying  plates, 

is  respectfully  submitted. 

Yours,  &c. 

JOHN  B.  TKASK. 


• 


To  THE  SENATE  AND  ASSEMBLY 

OF  THE  STATE  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Under  the  Joint  Eesolution,  passed  May  6.  1853,  by  the  Senate  and 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  California,  authorizing  a  farther  Geological  ex 
amination  of  some  parts  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Coast  Mountains,  and 
report  the  results  of  the  same  to  the  ensuing  Legislature,  I  have  the 
honor  of  submitting  the  following  report  in  relation  thereto,  and  in  con 
formity  to  the  above  requisitions. 

JOHN  B.  TRASK. 


PREFACE. 


The  examinations  authorized  were  entered  upon  soon  after  the  passage 
of  the  resolution,  and  continued  until  the  28th  of  November,  comprising 
a  period  in  the  field  of  about  six  months.  The  first  five  weeks  were 
occupied  in  examinations  of  the  more  elevated  and  western  portions  of 
the  Counties  of  Butte,  Sierra,  Yuba,  Nevada  and  Placer,  in  determining, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  position  of  an  ancient  water  course  in  this  section 
of  the  State,  and  its  peculiarities — the  description  of  which  will  be  found 
in  the  body  of  this  report. 

On  the  23d  June,  the  southern  portion  of  the  tour  was  commenced, 
and  carried  on  almost  uninterruptedly  for  four  months.  The  route  south 
was  carried  through  the  Counties  of  San  Francisco,  Santa  Clara,  Santa 
Cruz,  Monterey,  and  the  north  part  of  Luis  Obispo ;  on  the  west,  and 
returning  on  the  east,  (or  through  that  range  denominated  the  Monte 
Diablo  Eange)  by  the  west  part  of  Tulare  County,  Mariposa,  Tuolumne, 
Alameda,  Contra  Costa  and  San  Joaquin. 

The  range  of  country  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Straits  Carquinez, 
and  south  by  the  Nacismiento,  was  divided  into  four  sections,  formed 
by  lines  running  nearly  east  and  west  from  the  great  valley  to  the 
coast.  On  the  first  of  October,  the  country  north  of  the  Straits  Carqui 
nez  was  entered,  and  preliminary  examinations  only  were  made  in  the 
counties  of  Solano,  Napa  and  Sonoma,  From  the  County  of  Napa  a 
section  was  carried  across  the  basin  of  the  Sacramento,  and  connected 
with,  examinations  made  two  years  previous  on  its  eastern  edge.  A  sim 
ilar  section  was  also  made,  passing  eighteen  miles  south  of  Monte  Diablo 
and  continued  across  the  San  Joaquin. 

The  remainder  of  the  months  of  October  and  November  was  employ 
ed  in  investigations  of  the  middle  mining  sections  of  the  County  of  Ne 
vada  and  those  intermediate  between  the  former  and  the  middle  and 
western  parts  of  Calaveras  county.  This  range  leads  through  that  sec 
tion  in  which  the  principal  gold  mines  of  the  middle  portions  of  the 
State  are  located,  and  was  selected,  with  the  view  of  conducting  those 
examinations  which  will  be  found  in  the  appendix  of  this  report,  under  the 
head  of  Quartz  Mining.  As  those  mines  have  of  late  presented  many  in 
teresting  facts  connected  with  their  ultimate  prospects,  a  set  of  sketches 


8  [APPENDIX 

representing  the  positions  of  the  views  and  investing  rocks  has  been 
given  for  illustrating  their  present  features. 

Doing  the  tour  in  the  agricultural  sections  of  the  State,  the  modifica 
tions  of  the  soils  in  different  sections  has  been  noted,  and  the  natural 
productions  arising  as  resultants,  where  they  seemed  of  a  general  charac 
ter,  and  extending  over  any  considerable  area.  The  "  Saline  lands " 
have  been  observed,  and  the  opportunities  that  were  offered  for  their  re 
clamation,  whed  at  any  time  demanded.  The  extent  of  cropping  and  re 
sultant  crops  in  some  parts  of  the  State,  are  of  peculiar  interest,  and  the 
facts  developed  in  this  particular  will  prove  of  much  value  to  our  agri 
cultural  interests,  being  an  exhibition  of  the  capabilities  of  some  our 
soils  for  the  production  of  the  necessaries  of  life,  unexcelled  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  world. 

The  temperature  of  the  mountainous  and  valley  sections  of  both  branches 
of  the  coast  mountains,  was  noted  as  far  as  the  nature  of  attending  cir 
cumstances  would  permit,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  as  far  as  pos 
sible  the  peculiar  adaptation  of  the  different  sections  to  the  culture  of 
exotic  fruits  and  trees,  and  where  no  opportunity  of  personal  examina 
tion  offered,  a  careful  inquiry  of  persons  long  resident  in  different  sec 
tions,  was  made,  by  which  many  interesting  facts  have  been  obtained, 
relating  to  this  subject. 

This  report  will  embrace  the  examination  of  a  district  of  countrv,  in 
cluded  within  120°  16'  and  122°  32'  west  longitude,  and  from  the  thirty- 
fifth  parallel  to  the  thirty-ninth  degree  of  north  latitude,  inclusive  of  the 
coast  mountains  and  mineral  districts. 

The  coast  mountains  are  watered  by  thirty-two  streams,  the  most  of 
which  are  small,  their  names  and  the  counties  in  which  they  are  located 
will  be  found  below. 

COUNTY.  EIVER. 

Sonoma,  Sonoma, — 

Napa,  Napa. — 

Contra  Costa.  Merced. — 

Alameda.  San  Antonio. — 

•»,*•»  San  Leandro. — 

San  Lorenzo. — 
Alameda. — 

Santa  Clara,  Coyote. — 

Aguagos. 
San  Felipe. — 
Gaudalupe. — 
Los  €ratos. — 
Camels. — 
Llagos. 
Carnadero. — 
Pescadero. — 
La  Brae. — 

Santa  Cruz.  San  Lorenzo.— 

Lougell. — 
Syante. — 
San  Augustine, — 


Doc.  No.  9.]  9 

* 
COUNTY.  EIVER. 

Corallitos. 
Monterey.  Pajaro. 

San  Benito. 

Carmello. — • 

Berjeles. — 

San  Antonio. 

Salinas. — 

Francisquito. — 

San  Luis  Obispo.  Nacismiento. 

San  Francisco.  San  Mateo. 

San  Francisquito. — 

There  are  twenty-three  of  these  streams  which  furnish  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  water  for  milling  purposes,  and  are  marked  with  a  dash,  ( — ) 
the  above  list  does  not  include  many  small  arroyas  that  course  through 
these  sections. 


REPORT, 


The  coast  range  of  mountains,  and  its  included  valleys,  which  form 
the  principle  subject  of  this  report,  extend  from  the  42nd  paralel  north 
latitude  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  State.  Their  general  features 
present  much  more  diversity  of  character  than  is  usually  to  be  found  in 
the  eastern  chain  of  mountains,  which  forms  the  Sierra  Nevada ;  from 
the  occurrence  of  a  greater  variety  of  rocks  constituting  their  mass,  and 
the  much  greater  area  of  covered  by  the  sedimentary  formations,  the 
principle  of  which  are  sandstones,  interspersed  occasionally  with  calca 
reous  rocks,  and  more  rarely  slates ;  this  latter  class  of  rocks  forming 
but  a  small  proportion  of  the  sedimentary  formations,  of  which  later  ex 
tensive  portions  of  the  coast  line  of  mountains  is  composed. 

The  eastern  belt  of  the  coast  range  presents  a  repulsive  aspect  to  the 
traveller  as  he  approaches  it  from  either  hand,  from  its  naked  and  bar 
ren  appearance,  producing  but  little  of  forest  growth  in  any  part  of  it, 
while  those  portions  of  the  coast  line  of  hills  proper,  are  covered  to  a 
great  extent  with  forest  trees,  consisting  principally  of  the  redwood,  pine, 
and  spruce,  with  groves  of  oak  near  their  base,  all  of  which  are  well 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  settler  and  usually  easy  of  access. 

This  peculiarity  in  the  two  principal  ridges  of  this  chain  was  general 
for  near  three  hundred  miles  of  their  course,  the  eastern  ridge  presenting 
no  traces  of  timber  except  here  and  there  an  isolated  patch  of  the  pine 
on  some  one  of  its  higher  points ;  and  for  miles  in  extent  even  low  shrubs 
are  almost  entirely  absent, 

Notwithstanding  the  barren  aspect  of  the  eastern  belt  of  the  coast  ' 
mountains,  it  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  their  slopes  or  valleys  are  unpro 
ductive,  for  it  is  found  to  be  otherwise,  being  covered  with  a  luxuriant 
growth  of  native  grains  and  grasses,  with  herbaceous  plants,  affording 
extensive  pasturage  for  flocks  and  herds.  The  lower  foothills  of  the 
range,  and  the  immediate  banks  of  the  small  streams  that  meander 
through  them,  afford  a  few  scattering  oaks  and  other  trees,  but  not  suffi 
cient  in  extent  to  furnish  more  than  a  very  small  local  demand,  to  so 
extensive  a  population  as  the  valley  sections  at  the  base  of  these  hills 
must  in  a  few  years  require.  The  oak  groves  found  on  the  plains  are 


12  [APPENDIX 

not  adapted  to  any  other  uses  than  that  of  fencing  and  for  fuel.  The 
western  or  coast  line  of  mountains  must  become  the  principal  source  of 
supply,  in  lumber  for  building  purposes,  except  that  which  may  be  ob 
tained  by  importation. 

The  coast  range  consists  of  two  principal  and  distinct  lines  of  ridges 
for  a  distance  of  nearly  two  hundred  miles  of  their  length ;  these  are 
separated  from  each  other  by  wide  and  long  valleys  that  continue  almost 
uninterrupted  through  their  whole  course,  and  should  be  considered  as 
distinct  ranges  of  one  system  both  from  their  geographical  position  as  re 
lates  to  the  mountains  in  which  they  are  situated.  The  valleys  have 
recieved  different  names,  as  the  Santa  Clara  and  Salinas  ;  and  these  again 
are  subdivided  and  recieve  local  names  even  on  the  same  line  of  plain ; 
they  can  be  considered  strictly  but  one  valley,  the  lineo  f  continuity  be 
ing  broken  by  the  interposition  of  a  range  of  hills,  not  exceeding  in 
altitude  three  hundred  feet,  and  even  below  these  figures. 

This  division  of  the  Salinas  from  the  Santa  Clara  is  caused  by  a  low 
spur  putting  in  from  the  Gabilan  range,  in  a  direction  nearly  north-west. 
Across  the  northern  part  of  this  spur  the  PajaroEiver,  an  inconsiderable 
stream,  holds  its  course,  discharging  its  waters  into  the  Bay  of  Monterey. 
The  extend  and  geographical  position  of  these  two  valleys  would  seem  to 
warrant  a  different  arrangement  than  that  at  present  existing  in  reference 
to  the  coast  range ;  as  they  form  a  line  as  distinct  and  clear  in  the  sepa 
ration  of  the  two  principal  ridges,  as  the  valleys  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  in  the  separation  of  the  coast  range  on  the  west  from  the  Sierra 
Nevada  on  the  east. 

The  division  of  the  coast  range  proposed  will  be  bounded  as  follows : 
commencing  at  a,  point  due  east  of  Monte  Diablo  on  the  valley  San  Joa 
quin,  the  latter  and  the  Tulare  valley  to  form  the  east  line  to  the  inter 
section  of  both  ranges  with  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  near  the  thirty- 
fifth  degree  north  latitude,  thence  running  west  to  a  point  that  shall  cut 
the  west  base  of  this  range,  and  lying  on  the  north-western  border  of  the 
Salinas,  thence  north  along  the  west  border  of  the  latter,  and  also  the 
west  border  of  the  valley  Santa  Clara  to  the  south-east  terminus  of  the  bay 
San  Francisco,  following  the  east  coast  of  that  bay  to  the  point  San  Pablo. 
This  range  inclusive  to  be  denominated  the  Monte  Diabolo,  and  all  moun 
tains  to  the  west  of  these  lines  to  be  still  termed  the  "  Coast  Mountains." 
This  division  in  the  mountains  now  bearing  the  latter  name,  will  become 
the  more  necessary  when  it  is  understood  that  much  difficulty  now  exists 
in  localizing  phenomena  and  transactions  that  have  from  time  to  time 
occurred,  as  well  also  as  another  distinctive  feature  which  marks  them, 
viz :  their  relative  age,  the  one  being  of  comparative  recent  date  to  the 
other.  The  term  "Coast  Eange"  implies  a  line  of  mountains  following 
the  coast  only,  but  which,  as  it  is  used  at  the  present  time,  includes  a 
chain  whose  eastern  base  is  as  far  removed  from  the  coast,  as  the  foot 
hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  are  from  Bodega  Bay  on  a  line  cutting  through 
the  City  of  Sacramento  to  the  ocean.  This  chain,  it  will  be  seen,  is  se 
parated  by  broad  and  long  valleys,  as  distinct  in  their  characteristics^  as 
the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin,  while  their  length,  including  the  bay 
San  Francisco,  equals  the  latter  and  has  nearly  half  its  average  breadth. 
The  geological  and  mineral  characteristics  of  the  two  ranges  are  equally 


Doc.  No.  9.]  13 

«r 

as  marked  and  distinct  as  their  geographical  position  and  vegetable 
productions,  while  the  courses  which  both  pursue  are  widely  variant, 
forming  an  angle  of  thirty-six  degrees  in  ninety-one  miles.  For  local 
convenience  of  description  this  division  should  be  made,  if  for  no  other 
reason. 

A  division,  or  rather  a  new  arrangement,  is  to  be  introduced  in  rela 
tion  to  the  entire  mountain  chains  that  lie  upon  the  west  side  of  the  con 
tinent,  which  will  give  more  uniformity  and  a  much  better  classification 
than  that  now  existing.  It  is  not  proposed  however  to  change  local 
names  in  the  arrangement,  but  to  name  those  parts  of  the  mountains, 
which,  as  yet,  have  received  none,  except  "  Sierras,"  as  they  are  termed. 
Through  Mr.  Blake,  of  the  U.  S.  E.  E.  Survey,  I  am  informed  that  it  is 
now  proposed  to  term  the  entire  chain  of  mountains,  extending  through 
to  the  northern  part  of  Oregon,  and  running  south  into  lower  California, 
"  Cordilleras  or  Western  America,"  and  all  those  portions  south  of  the 
thirty-fifth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  [which,  as  yet,  have  received  no 
name,]  are  to  be  termed  the  "  Peninsula  range"  in  order  to  separate  them 
from  the  coast  mountains  with  which  they  are  now  often  confounded, 
and  again  as  often  termed  Sierra  Nevada,  by  persons  who  have  occasion 
to  describe  them,  or  any  part  of  them. 

The  terms  "Sierra  Nevada,"  and  "Cascade  Eange,"  will  thus  be  re 
tained  as  local  names,  with  their  boundaries  the  same  as  before.  The  coast 
mountains  will  comprise  the  entire  chain  lying  to  the  west  of  the  above, 
and  which  are  found  to  have  an  age  more  recent  than  the  tertiary  rocks, 
which  rest  upon  them,  and  such  local  changes  as  may  be  necessary  will 
be  applied,  but  so  far  only  as  will  be  required  in  order  to  elucidate  any 
peculiar  characteristics  they  may  possess. 

This  arrangement  is  one  much  needed,  and  is  founded  on  strictly  sci 
entific  principles,  and  this  proposition  of  Mr.  Blake  will  meet  the  uni 
versal  concurrence  of  the  country,  as  it  will  reduce  the  mountain  chains 
of  the  western  part  of  the  continent,  to  a  more  perfect  system  than  they 
have  heretofore  possessed. 

A  more  specific  classification  of  these  mountains  has  before  been  pro 
posed  by  different  persons,  among  them  that  of  Lieut.  Wilkes,  who  pro 
posed  the  term  of  "  California  Eange  of  the  Cascades;"  for  the  Sierra 
Nevada  being  but  a  continuation  of  the  former,  all  of  them  heretofore 
have  been  objectionable  on  the  ground  that  old  and  established  names 
would  be  changed  by  the  arrangement ;  notwithstanding  those  names  con 
veyed  erroneous  impressions.  No  such  objection  can  be  urged  against 
the  present  proposition  of  the  gentleman  above  named,  as  it  affords  a 
convenience  of  arrangement  not  heretofore  suggested  or  presented  to  the 
public  for  their  consideration.  With  these  remarks  on  this  part  of  our 
subject,  we  will  proceed  to  the  examination  of  the  chain  termed  the 
Monte  Diabolo  Eange. 


GEOLOGY  OF  THE  MONTE  DIABOLO  EANGE. 

This  chain  of  mountains  forms  the  south  shore  of  the  Straits  Carquinez 
and  part  of  the  bay  of  Suissun.    The  rocks  bordering  the  bay  and  straits 


14  [APPENDIX 

are  mostly  a  sandstone,  which  belongs  to  a  similar  range  occurring  on 
the  opposite  shore.  On  the  western  flank  of  this  portion  of  these  moun 
tains,  or  on  the  east  shores  of  the  bay  San  Pablo,  and  north  part  of  San 
Francisco,  a  range  of  sharp  Peaks  are  seen ;  their  slopes  are  abrupt  from 
the  summit  for  a  considerable  way  down  toward  their  base,  and  in  the 
latter  part  of  winter  and  through  the  spring  are  covered  with  wild  oats 
and  grasses. 

For  several  miles  these  mountains  are  made  up  of  trapean  rocks, 
'which  have  forced  themselves  through  the  sedimentary  rocks,  and  are  in 
all  respects  similar  to  the  volcanic  series  that  has  protruded  through  the 
older  and  also  more  recent  formations  in  the  Sierra  Nevada.  These  rocks 
are  cut  through  and  disturbed  by  a  suite  of  igneous  rocks  of  still  more 
recent  origin,  causing  material  change  in  the  structure  of  the  rocks  that 
preceded  them,  both  sedimentary  and  plutonic.  Among  the  latter  we 
find  the  pitchstone  and  obsidian,  showing  conclusively  that  they  belong 
to  that  class  known  as  recent  volcanic  rocks.  These  rocks  may  be  con 
veniently  observed  in  some  of  the  lower  hills  about  two  miles  east  of  the 
house  of  Victor  Castro,  in  the  County  of  Alameda.  The  more  recent 
volcanic  rocks  form  the  first  summit  of  the  high  ridge  east  of  the  bay, 
and  the  frequently  isolated  conical  peaks  to  which  they  give  rise,  and 
which  are  known  among  the  native  inhabitants  as  (Picaches)  stretch  to 
the  north  for  six  miles,  when  they  are  replaced  by  the  older  trap 
rocks,  and  followed  by  the  softer  sandstones,  which  form  the  smooth 
rounded  summits  of  the  hills  to  the  Bay  San  Pablo  and  Straits  of  Car- 
quinez. 

The  sandstones  on  the  shores  present  many  marks  of  disturbance  and 
change,  by  the  intrusion  of  the  late  igneous  rocks,  and  it  is  not  unfre- 
quent  to  find  fine  threads  of  quartz  ramifying  through  them  in  every 
direction;  when  this  is  the  case,  or  when  they  are  in  contact  with 
the  more  recent  of  the  igneous  group,  their  former  structure  is  usu 
ally  found  materially  changed,  a  conchoidal  fracture  in  these  rocks  is 
often  the  result  of  this  contact  either  in  large  or  small  masses. 

There  are  considerable  areas  of  the  sandstone  in  these  mountains,  that 
present  little  or  no  traces  of  change,  subsequent  to  their  deposition,  ex 
cept  that  of  uplift  •  thus  proving  that  they  must  have  been  deposited  on 
the  trap  rocks  after  the  latter  had  become  firm,  and  parted  with  their 
heat :  but  where  the  sedimentary  rocks  are  found  in  close  proximity 
with  the  later  igneous  rocks  the  change  indeed  in  them  is  clear  and  de 
cisive  :  thus  demonstrating  the  fact  that  volcanic  action  has  occurred  at 
a  date  long  subsequent  to  the  period  in  which  these  rocks  were  deposited, 
and  probably  after  their  emergence  above  the  surface  of  the  sea,  in  which 
they  had  their  origin.  It  was  found,  in  examining  the  sandstones  lying 
upon  the  older  trapean  rocks  of  this  part  of  the  range,  that  the  fine 
threads  of  quartz  before  noticed,  gradually  increased  in  dimensions  as 
they  approximated  the  inferior  strata  of  the  sedimentary  rocks,  and 
where  the  igneous  rocks  were  exposed  to  view  beneath  them,  in  favor 
able  situations,  they  often  exhibited  true  well  and  defined,  though  small 
veins  of  quartz  passing  through  them. 

These  general  characteristics  continue  south  untill  a  point  nearly  east 
of  the  town  of  Oakland  is  obtained,  and  here  the  trapean  group  of 
rocks  are  interrupted  to  a  certain  extent.  East  of  this  town  we  find  the 


Doc.  No.  9.]  15 

m 

primitive  rocks  occurring,  and  an  outcrop  of  serpentine  makes  its  ap 
pearance,  together  with  some  of  its  subordinate  members,  among  which 
the  Shales  and  some  of  the  cherty  rocks  appear.  These  are  flanked  to 
the  east  with  rocks  of  the  trapean  group,  forming  the  high  ridge  in  that 
direction,  and  are  surmounted  with  the  fbssiliferous  sandstones.  The  ser 
pentine  rocks  of  this  district  contain  considerable  quantities  of  chromic 
iron,  but  its  extent  is  not  accurately  known.  South  of  Oakland  to  San 
Antonio,  the  country  is  of  the  same  character  as  that  immediately  pre 
ceding  it.  The  mountains  were  not  examined,  but  the  creek  was  fol 
lowed  four  or  five  miles,  and  its  bed  showed  nothing  to  indicate  a  change 
in  the  structure  of  the  country  from  which  it  has  its  rise,  with  the 
exception,  perhaps,  that  the  sandstone  pebbles  exhibited  no  marks  of 
fossils. 

These  features  were  general  for  the  entire  distance  to  the  San  Leandro, 
being  about  eight  miles :  but  after  crossing  this  stream,  the  fossiliferous 
rocks  become  more  fully  developed  and  continue  to  gradually  increase 
to  the  arroyo  of  the  Alameda.  The  sedimentary  rocks  of  this  district 
rest  on  the  older  trap  formations,  with  frequent  small  threads  of  quartz 
passing  through  them,  but  no  material  change  of  structure  was  observed 
in  these  at  the  points  of  contact.  The  sandstone  of  these  hills  is 
much  coarser  in  its  texture  than  that  forming  the  shores  of  the  Bay 
San  Pablo  and  Straits  Carquinez,  and  its  fossils  exceedingly  fragile  and 
imperfect. 

Crossing  the  Alameda  and  entering  the  hills  in  which  the  Mission  of 
San  Jose  is  situated,  a  distance  of  four  miles,  no  change  in  the  general 
character  of  the  rocks  is  noticeable,  with  the  exception  that  the  sedimen 
tary  rocks  have  suffered  more  from  disintegration  than  at  any  point 
north  of  the  arryo  Alameda,  and  the  contour  of  the  country  being  such 
as  to  retain  a  large  part  of  the  detritus  of  these  rocks,  the  result  has  been 
the  production  of  a  soil,  throughout  the  hilly  and  rolling  districts,  of 
almost  unequalled  richness  and  fertility. 

Following  the  west  side  of  the  Central  Range  we  pass  into  the 
county  Santa  Clara,  a  short  distance  south  of  the  Mission  San  Jose. 
The  sedimentary  rocks  containing  fossils  continue  to  cap  the  summit  of 
the  ridge  for  the  distance  of  twenty -five  miles  south  of  this  point,  all 
of  which  appear  to  be  of  the  same  age  as  those  above  described.  South 
of  the  Hot  Springs  (a  point  defining  the  boundary  between  the  counties 
Alameda  and  Santa  Clara)  the  trachytes,  crop  out  in  two  or  three  locali 
ties,  leaving  but  little  room  for  doubt  that  the  more  recent  of  the  volcanic 
rocks  underlie  this  entire  section.  At  the  distance  of  sixteen  miles  south 
of  the  Spring,  the  chlorite  slate  flanks  the  west  base  of  the  ridge,  and  at 
short  intervals  along  this  distance  fragments  of  these  rocks  are  frequently 
met ;  on  the  Rancho  del  Palo  this  rock  again  occurs  at  a  distance  of  three 
miles  east  of  San  Jose,  here  it  crops  out  on  the  hills  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  valley,  and  appears  to  have  been  much  disturbed  and  broken 
up  ;  immediately  west  of  this  an  alluminous  slate  appears  dipping  south 
west  and  corresponding  to  the  inclination  of  the  chlorites. 

In  the  hills  of  this  district  there  is  considerable  quantities  of  quartz, 
some  of  which  has  proved  auriferous. 

Traveling  parallel  with  the  ridge  and  south  of  the  Pueblo  San  Jose, 
the  fossiliferous  rocks  become  less  developed,  and  at  the  distance  of 


16  [APPENDIX 

i 

thirteen  miles  very  few  sandstones  containing  fossils  were  to  be  seen.  In 
the  arroya  Caoti  the  first  specimens  of  scoriaceous  lava  were  met  with, 
this  induced  a  more  critical  examination  of  the  mountains  to  the  east  of 
the  valley  than  would  otherwise  have  been  made.  The  hills  were  entered 
a  short  distance  south  of  Laguna  Seca,  and  followed  thence  southerly 
for  eighteen  miles.  Small  patches  of  fossiliferous  rocks  are  sparingly 
distributed  over  the  route,  the  predominating  rocks  being  igneous  and 
composed  principally  of  trachytes  and  lavas ;  from  Laguna  Seca  an 
almost  continuous  dike  of  the  latter  extends  along  the  western  base  of 
the  ridge  for  a  distance  of  near  twenty  miles. 

As  you  approach  the  Eancho  Cantine  it  becomes  more  cellular  than 
farther  north  at  any  point  where  it  was  observed.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Grilroy's  it  has  been  used  for  milling  purposes,  to  which  it  seems  admirably 
adapted,  being  unequalled  in  hardness  to  the  best  French  Buhr.  I  saw 
at  Gilroy's  three  sets  of  these  stones  which  have  been  in  use  at  that  place 
for  several  years  in  flouring  wheat.  These  stones  are  capable  of  being 
split  out  to  the  diameter  of  four  feet  and  the  requisite  thickness  that  may 
be  required  for  the  uses  of  the  mill. 

The  principal  rocks  forming  the  east  ridge  of  the  Monte  Diablo  range, 
and  continuing  southeasterly  from  Gilroy's,  are  composed  of  the  more 
recent  volcanic  series,  and  are  but  a  part  of  those  above  alluded  to.  At 
the  distance  of  eight  miles  from  this  town,  the  ridge  attains  an  elevation 
near  three  thousand  feet,  and  shoots  up  into  a  series  of  jagged,  conical 
peaks,  which  maintain  this  character  for  sixteen  miles  south  of  San 
Felipe;  the  pass  known  as  "Pacheco  Pass,"  leading  from  the  Valley 
Santa  Clara  to  the  San  Joaquin,  is  situated  among  these  latter  hills  and 
near  their  northern  terminus. 

Nine  miles  northeast  from  San  Filipe  is  the  well  known  landmark 
known  as  "  Pacheco's  Peak ;"  it  is  visible  for  a  long  distance  from  the 
east,  west  and  south,  but  not  from  the  north  owing  to  the  hills  between 
having  a  considerable  altitude  and  their  close  proximity  on  the  principle 
line  of  travel ;  it  is  formed  of  trachyte  and  scoriaceous  lavas,  and  is  evi 
dently  the  remains  of  an  extinct  volcano. 

The  Santa  Anna  mountains  stretch  in  a  south-east  direction  from  San 
Felipe  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  and  from  this  point  sink  gradually  into 
an  uneven  ridge  having  an  altitude  varying  from  one  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  feet,  but  far  more  rugged  than  its  equivalent  north  of  the 
Alameda  Creek.  The  section  inclusive  from  the  vicinty  of  Pacheco's  to 
the  extreme  southeast  part  of  the  Santa  Anna  mountains,  has  been  one 
of  the  grand  centres  of  the  more  recent  volcanic  disturbances  which  has 
imparted  to  the  mountains  their  present  contour ;  the  greatest  amount  of 
local  disturbance  is  confined  within  a  line  of  distance  comprising  about 
eight  miles  north  and  south,  exerting  a  considerable  elevatory  force  on 
the  sedimentary  rocks  of  recent  date  to  the  west  and  south-west. 

The  disturbance  among  the  latter  rocks  is  manifested  in  a  striking 
manner  on  the  south-east  portion  of  the  "Loma  Muertas,"  (a  range,  of 
hills  extending  from  the  south-east  part  of  the  Santa  Clara  Yalley  across 
its  upper  end,  dividing  this  from  the  Yalley  San  Juan)  which  extends 
also  to  the  fossiliferous  rocks  near  the  Mission  San  Juan,  they  all 
have  a  dip  to  the  west,  which  is  continuous  for  miles, 

The  Eancho  Tres  Pinos,  eight  miles  south-west  of  Santa  Anna,  may 


Doc.  No.  9.]  17 

be  said  to  be  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Yalley  Santa  Clara,  though 
south  of  the  "Loma  Muertas  "  it  is  called  San  Juan;  at  this  point  it  nar 
rows  to  a  canon  and  continues  thus  forty  miles  to  the  south-east ;  after 
passing  the  Tres  Finos  it  becomes  rough  and  irregular,  though  attaining 
ho  great  altitude  for  most  of  this  distance,  and  from  the  appearance  of  the 
Canada  beyond,  obtained  from  an  elevation  of  eight  hundred  feet,  it  is 
probably  connected  with  the  Tulare  plain  some  forty  miles  south,  and 
from  its  appearance  the  elevation  must  be  very  moderate,  as  no  hills 
were  visible  along  the  axis  of  the  canon  to  obstruct  the  view  to  a  horizon 
beyond. 

The  stream  that  courses  this  Canada  is  termed  San  Benito  as  far  south 
as  the  Arroya  los  Muertas,  and  eight  miles  south  of  the  Rancho  Tres 
Pinos,  after  which  it  takes  the  name  of  San  Juan ;  it  discharges  its 
waters  into  the  Pajaro  fourteen  miles  north  of  the  Eancho  Santa  Anna; 
the  latter  river  forming  the  boundary  of  the  counties  Santa  Clara,  Santa 
Cruz  and  Monterey. 

The  pass  Santa  Anna  is  situated  in  the  Monte  Diablo  Range  and  enters 
these  mountains  from  the  west,  two  leagues  south  of  the  Tres  Pinos,  and 
from  the  Canada  San  Benito ;  it  was  extremely  rocky  so  far  as  examined 
though  attaining  no  great  altitude,  the  mean  of  its  course  was  fifteen 
degrees  north  of  east.  This  canon  appears  to  have  formeol  the  banks  of 
an  ancient  stream,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  San  Joaquin  might 
have  flowed  through  this  section,  and  discharged  its  waters  into  the  bay 
of  Monterey  ;  I  did  not  pass  through  the  entire  length  of  the  canon  and 
am  therefore  unable  to  form  an  opinion  on  this  point  that  would  be  sat 
isfactory  in  this  particular.  The  features  observed  on  which  this  suppo 
sition  is  founded,  are  that  a  series  of  outliers,  or  rather  narrow  terraces 
are  traceable  for  nine  or  ten  miles  up  the  Canada,  such  as  occur  on  streams 
whose  beds  have  been  drained  from  successive  elevations  from  subter 
ranean  forces.  These  peculiar  features  are  not  uncommon  in  the  more 
elevated  portions  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  or  Coast  Mountains,  and  in  the 
middle  and  northern  parts  of  the  former  they  may  be  traced  for  long- 
distances. 

The  Monte  Diablo  Range  is  connected  with  the  line  of  mountains 
which  separate  the  Tulare  and  Salinas  Valleys ;  and  constitute  in  fact  but 
one  range,  having  their  terminus  within  the  thirty-fourth  parallel,  when 
they  are  intercepted  by  the  San  Bernardino  mountains,  which  it  appears 
from  the  U.  S.  R.  R.  Survey,  pursue  a  course  nearly  at  right  angles  to 
the  trend  of  the  former ;  while  the  low  mountains  forming  the  east 
border  of  the  Salinas  from  the  Mission  San  Miguel  on  the  south  to  the 
Pajaro  River  on  the  north,  can  be  considered  nothing  but  a  spur  of  the 
Monte  Diablo  Range. 

The  principle  partis  of  this  spur  of  granitic  and  other  primitive  rocks, 
on  which  the  tertiaries  rest;  the  granite  is  first  developed  in  and  about 
the  Cinega  del  Grabilan,  this  mountain  being  made  up  for  the  most  part 
of  these  rocks  ;  at  the  next  highest  peak  twelve  miles  south  of  the  above 
known  as,  the  Chupedero,  the  granite  .passes  into  a  coarse  sienite  much 
disintegrated  and  loose  on  the  surface ;  the  sienite  continues  to  the  Canada 
Solza  a  distance  of  six  miles,  beyond  which  it  was  not  examined  for 
twenty  miles.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  granite  rocks  extend  to  any  consider 
able  distance  beyond  this  localitv,  as  the  general  aspect  of  the  country 
3 


18  [APPENDIX 

changes  materially  after  passing  this  point,  and  the  magnesian  rocks  begin 
to  be  gradually  developed. 

The  mountains  were  again  entered  fourteen  miles  above  the  Canada 
Solza,  and  followed  for  eleven  miles,  the  magnesian  rocks  were  met  at 
short  intervals  throughout  the  entire  distance.  Chlorite  and  talcose  slates 
with  beds  of  impure  serpentine  occur,  containing  actinolite,  and  in  the 
ravines  fragments  of  chromic  iron ;  at  one  locality  this  mineral  was  found 
in  considerable  quantities.  No  chromic  iron  was  found  in  place  in  any  of 
these  rocks,  but  the  detached  masses  in  the  ravines  indicate  deposits  to  a 
considerable  extent. 

The  Panoches  were  visible  from  this  point  and  distant  about  seven  miles, 
bearing  per  compass  south-east  by  east,  and  the  entire  range  of  hills  inter 
vening  leads  to  the  belief  that  the  same  class  of  rocks  as  those  above 
alluded  to,  compose  the  principal  rock  of  this  section.  This  opinion  was 
subsequently  corroborated  by  the  results  of  an  exploring  party  from  the 
Mission  San  Juan,  who  were  out  in  search  of  what  had  been  supposed  an 
argentiferous  vein,  up  the  Canada  of  that  San  Juan,  the  ore  brought  in  by 
this  company  proved  to  be  an  excellent  quality  of  the  chromic  mineral, 
containing  considerable  quantities  of  the  emerald  nickel,  which  is  far 
more  valuable  than  the  mineral  with  which  it  is  associated. 

A  line  from  tie  Canada  Solza  carried  east  to  the  Arroya  San  Juan  ter 
minates  at  a  point  four  miles  north  of  a  sandstone  formation  lying  upon 
the  east  declivity  of  these  mountains  which  contains  marine  fossils ;  those 
that  were  sufficiently  firm  for  examination  were  found  to  be  of  present 
existing  species  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  consisting  of  Mytilus  and  Cytherea ; 
in  one  part  of  these  tertairy  sandstones  some  fragments  of  Purpura  were 
found,  which  are  identical  with  those  on  the  Arroya  Pescadero,  county  of 
Santa  Clara,  and  the  litteral  sea  beaches  on  the  Straits  Carquinez.  This 
was  the  only  deposit  of  sedimentary  rocks  found  on  this  spur  of  the  Monte 
Diablo  Eange,  and  points  to  a  period  remote,  when  the  waters  of  the  ocean 
washed  those  shores,  and  furnishes  corroborative  testimony  of  the  reces 
sion  of  the  sea  from  those  places  by  uplift  from  volcanic  agencies  below 
the  surface. 

On  the  west  flank  of  the  Gfabilan  (which  is  the  most  prominent  peak  on 
this  spur)  a  bed  of  primitive  limestone  occurs,  extending  from  the  Canada 
Yergeles  on*  the  north  nearly  to  the  Sierra  Chapadero  on  the  south,  a  dis 
tance  of  twelve  miles ;  it  was  observed  on  the  lower  hills  of  this  part  of 
these  mountains  only,  and  at  no  elevation  exceeding  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  Salinas  Plains. 

At  one  locality  these  rocks  have  been  cut  through  by  two  dikes  of  trap, 
and  also  a  heavy  dike  of  quartz  is  found  on  its  eastern  edge,  which  runs 
parallel  with  the  course  of  the  calcareous  rocks ;  the  quartz  has  cut  both 
the  granite  and  limestone,  and  thrown  both  to  the  west,  it  is  heavily 
charged  with  iron,  and  contains  in  addition  the  blue  and  green  carbonate 
of  copper  with  a  little  gold.  The  limestone  passes  under  the  Salinas 
Valley  and  has  a  considerable  inclination  in  contact  with  the  intrusive 
veins  above  noted ;  it  contains  silver  and  lead  (Argentiferous  Galena)  in 
small  veins  in  several  places.  As  the  calcareous  formation  does  not  show 
itself  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  opposite  this  locality,  the  pre 
sumption  is  that  it  underlies  the  plain  at  a  considerable  depth,  and  should 


Doc.  No.  9.]  19 

B 

it  carry  those  veins  throughout  which  is  found  upon  its  surface  it  is  not 
improbable  that  valuable  deposits  of  ores  may  be  found  within  it 


SALINAS  VALLEY.   • 

This  extensive  plain  will  follow  as  next  in  order,  in  the  description  of 
its  general  features,  previous  to  the  consideration  of  the  Coast  Mountains. 

The  valley  is  about  ninety  miles  in  length,  and  has  a  varying  breadth 
from  eight  to  fourteen  miles ;  it  is>  situated  between  the  Coast  Mountains 
and  those  denominated  the  Monte  Diablo  Eange,  and  is  bounded  on  the 
east  by  that  spur  of  this  range  in  which  the  Grabilan  is  situated. 

The  Salinas  River  flows  through  this  plain  from  the  Cadesal  Pass  in 
which  it  has  its  rise,  to  the  bay  of  Monterey.  The  stream  for  fifty  miles 
of  its  course  follows  the  western  margin  of  the  valley,  and  crosses  the 
plain  for  the  first  time  eight  miles  south-east  of  the  Mission  Solidad, 
after  which  it  becomes  more  irregular.  Three  observations  were  taken 
at  different  points,  by  which  it  was  estimated  that  the  river  had  a  fall  of 
eighteen  inches  in  one  and  three-fourths  of  a  mile  for  seventy  miles  of 
its  course.  The  bed  of  the  stream  is  composed  of  a  loose  micaceous 
sand,  derived  from  the  granite  rocks  to  the  east,  and  also  from  the 
tertiary  rocks  on  its  western  border,  the  latter,  however,  do  not  enter 
largely  into  its  composition. 

The  plain  of  the  Salinas  consists  of  three  terraces  running  through 
nearly  its  entire  length,  thus  making  three  different  positions  which  the 
river  ha*s  occupied  since  the  formation  of  the  valley,  and  its  recession 
from  the  eastern  to  its  western  border  wrhere  it  at  present  holds  its  course. 
These  terraces  are  very  regular  in  their  general  outline,  and  impart  to 
the  mind  an  idea  that  the  plain  has  a  uniform  grade  for  its  entire  breadth, 
when  the  point  viewed  is  one  or  two  miles  distant.  Commencing  on  the 
western  side  of  the  valley,  the  lower  terrace  is  found  to  occupy  a  breadth 
of  about  four  miles,  and  is  composed  of  a  rich  alluvium ;  at  this  point 
the  second  terrace  rises  abruptly  to  the  height  of  eleven  feet,  its  average 
width  being  nearly  that  of  the  former ;  this  is  also  composed  of  a  similar 
soil  as  the  first,  though  not  in  so  fine  a  state  of  disintegration,  or  con 
taining  so  large  an  amount  of  vegetable  mould.  Both  terraces  support 
a  dense  growth  of  indigenous  grasses  and  plants,  thus  furnishing  an 
abundant  supply  of  pasturage  for  stock  of  all  kinds. 

The  third  and  upper  terrace  rises  nearly  as  abrupt  as  the  second,  and 
has  a  varying  breadth  from  one  to  six  miles,  it  is  more  irregular  upon 
its  surface  than  the  two  former,  and  attains  a  higher  grading  as  it  ap 
proaches  the  hills  to  the  east ;  the  irregularities  of  the  surface  are  not 
sufficient  to  produce  any  sensible  effect  in  destroying  that  uniformity 
which  a  view  of  four  miles  will  give  on  any  part  of  the  plain,  and  would 
not  be  noticeable  except  in  passing  over  it. 

South  of  the  Alisal  Ranch,  and  situated  on  this  upper  terrace,  are  a 
series  of  little  elevations  that  continue  at  intervals  of  half  a  mile  or  a 
mile  through  a  distance  of  twenty-seven  miles,  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  valley.  They  are  symmetrical  in  form  and  rise  on  every  side  to 
heights  varying  from  six  to  ten  feet  above  the  level  on  which  they  stand ; 
their  surfac^  is  smooth  and  even,  covering  an  area  from  fifty  to  one 


20  [APPENDIX 

hundred  yards  square.  They  appear  to  be  composed  of  the  valley  and 
neither  rocks  or  small  stones  were  to  be  found  on  any  part  of  them. 
The  first  impression  received  by  the  traveler  on  coming  up  to  them,  is 
that  they  were  the  work  of  art,  perhaps  thrown  up  by  the  aborigines  to 
secure  themselves  from  -inundation ;  but  when  we  consider  their  extent 
and  number,  it  will  be  found  rather  inconsistent  with  the  habits  of  these 
people  to  erect  works  of  this  extent ;  there  are  no  traditions  among  the 
Indian's  of  this  part  of  the  country  respecting  the  origin  of  these  singu 
larly  formed  hills. 

The  causes  of  their  production  must  remain  a  secret  which  future 
time  alone,  and  the  art  of  man,  will  eventually  unravel.  Their  irregu 
lar  dispersion  and  general  uniformity  of  character  indicates  an  origin 
from  natural  causes  than  otherwise,  though  it  must  be  confessed  that  the 
agents  that  are  active  in  producing  them  are  not  very  apparent. 

The  upper  terrace  or  "  Mesa  "  of  the  Salinas,  exhibits  more  distinctly 
the  sources  from  which  the  superficial  covering  of  the  plain  has  been 
derived ;  the  soil  is  harsh  and  gravelly,  and  retains  moisture  but  a  short 
time  after  the  rains  cease ;  it  much  resembles  the  soils  derived  from  the 
granitic  rocks  of  some  parts  of  the  mining  counties ;  but  notwithstand 
ing  the  sterile  features  of  this  "Mesa,"  it  produces  the  wild  oat  in  suffi 
cient  abundance  to  furnish  extensive  grazing  land,  and  in  the  "Encinals" 
the  natural  crop  is  heavy. 

The  slopes  of  the  hills  on  the  eastern  side  produce  the  same  grain, 
but  here  it  is  frequently  replaced  by  the  indigenious  grasses ;  these  latter 
do  not  become  so  general  until  after  passing  above  the  limestone  range, 
and  these  rocks  seem  to  favor  in  an  eminent  degree  the  growth  of  the 
cereal  to  that  of  the  grasses  in  this  section  and  south  beyond  the  Chupe- 
dero ;  beyond  this  the  grasses  form  the  principle  covering  of  the  hills  on 
the  east  side  of  the  plain  to  the  southern  extremity  of  the  range. 

The  Salinas  has  an  inclination  of  eight  degrees'  in  twelve  miles  trans 
versely  to  its  course.  The  line  was  projected  from  the  Chupedero  and 
carried  through  the  Carmel  Mountains  to  the  sea,  and  connected  with 
another  line  which  was  carried  through  the  Monte  Diablo  Eange  and 
Canada  San  Juan  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  south  of  Los  Muertas,  there 
by  obtaining  a  sectional  profile  from  the  western  edge  of  the  San  Joaquin 
to  the  ocean. 

The  section  thus  formed  will  give  the  following  series,  and  the  order 
in  which  they  occur.  First,  alluvium  of  the  San  Joaquin,  tertiary 
sandstone  containing  no  fossils,  and  resting  on  trachytes;  1200  feet 
on  east  ridge,  the  trap  rocks  are  found,  same  altitude  on  west  ridge, 
porous  and  compact  lavas,  on  the  west  slope  400  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  Arroya  San  Juan,  mountain  limestone.  Yalley  .half  a  mile  in 
breadth  flanked  by  calcareous  rocks,  resting  on  granite,  1600  feet  through 
to  the  Chupedero  granitic  and  trapean  rocks,  400  feet  above  Salinas 
"Valley  crystatine  limestone,  valley  twelve  miles  in  breadth,  ascend  one 
high  plateau  of  sixty -four  feet  of  gravelly  alluvium,  thence  over  a  high 
ridge  trapean  rocks,  which  are  followed  by  coarse  granitic  rocks  to  the 
sea.  The  highest  ridge  is  the  granitic  mountains  toward  the  ocean,  and 
the  highest  point  crossed  2900  feet. 


Doc.  No.  9.]  21 


FKOM  POINT  PIISTOS  TO  THE  NACISMIENTO  EIVEK. 

The  Coast  Mountains  extending  from  Point  Pinos,  Monterey,  to  the 
northern  line  of  Luis  Obispo  are  mostly  primitive ;  the  character  of  the 
rocks  which  form  the  principle  basis  of  these  mountains  are  best  observ 
ed  about  Point  Pinos  and  the  town  of  Monterey ;  they  -are  composed  of 
a  coarse-grained  but  apparently  firm  granite,  having  a  bluish  grey  color 
where  the  solid  masses  have  been  recently  fractured.  In  some  places 
this  granite  contains  imbedded  translucent  crystals  of  felspar,  (Adularia) 
in  others  it  is  close  grained,  and  contains  but  little  mica,  its  disintegra 
tion  forming  a  fine  white  sand  but  little  discolored  by  iron,  and  from  its 
brilliancy  below  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  produces  a  most  pleasing  effect 
on  its  waters  at  considerable  distance  from  the  shore.  The  light-house 
at  Point  Pinos  is  constructed  of  this  rock,  and  from  the  appearance  of 
the  stone  when  properly  dressed,  it  is  highly  probable  that  if  the  ledges 
were  properly  opened,  a  good  material  for  building  purposes  may  be  ob 
tained  and  in  sufficient  quantities  to  supply  all  the  local  demands  of  this 
country. 

The  granite  shows  itself  as  an  underlying  rock  for  four  miles  into  the 
interior,  from  the  coast,  where  it  becomes  covered  with  the  debris  of  the 
sedementary  rocks  resting  upon  it  and  alluvium,  but  there  is  but  little 
difficulty  in  tracing  its  course  for  forty-five  miles  easterly  of  Monterey  ; 
it  becomes  more  largely  developed  after  crossing  the  Carmello  and  enter 
ing  the  mountains  on  its  southern  side. 

The  trend  of  the  Coast  Mountains  south  of  Monterey  for  fifty  miles  is 
south  50  degrees  east,  while  the  strike  of  the  granite  rocks  is  at  an  angle 
of  nearly  18  degrees  to  the  line  of  trend,  or  in  other  words  cutting  the 
course  of  the  ridge  at  an  angle  of  eighteen  degrees.  The  granite  rocks 
at  Point  Pinos  are  of  the  same  series  as  those  occurring  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Eancho  Piojo,  and  south  of  the  Estella,  thirty  miles  distant  from 
the  latter  in  a  southerly  direction  ;  the  texture  of  these  rocks  in  these 
southern  localities  is  more  compact  than  in  the  vicinity  of  Monterey,  and 
in  some  cases  are  hornblendic  in  their  character.  On  the  east  the  granite 
is  flanked  by  an  extensive  group  of  the  Serpentine  formations,  which 
continue  south  as  far  as  the  Mission  San  Antonio  ;  they  constitute  the 
principle  part  of  a  ridge  running  parallel  with  the  granite,  and  situated 
between  the  latter  and  the  Salinas  Valley.  The  country  over  which  the 
magnesian  rocks  predominate  is  easily  distinguished  from  that  in  which 
granitic  or  trapean  group  is  found,  by  the  vegetation  incident  to  both — 
the  serpentine  hills  being  generally  destitute  of  the  larger  forest  trees, 
and  covered  with  a  thick  "  Chamisal"  and  stunted  varieties  of  the  oak  ; 
this  peculiarity  of  these  hills  is  very  striking,  and  cannot  fail  to  arrest 
the  attention  of  the  traveler,  either  among  the  Coast  Mountains  or  Sierra 
Nevada,  in  passing  over  them.  The  talcose  and  chlorits  slates  of  these 
mountains  were  found  to  be  auriferous  in  several  localities,  and  mining 
to  a  considerable  extent  was  conducted  in  some  parts  of  these  mountains 
during  the  past  summer. 

The  magnesian  rocks  cross  the  Nacismiento  Eiver  fourteen  miles  above 
its  junction  with  the  Salinas  ;  on  the  banks  of  this  stream  they  appear 
in  the  form  of  massive  Serpentine,  but  assume  a  schistose  structure  three 


22  [APPENDIX 

miles  beyond  to  the  south,  and  at  the  distance  of  six  miles  the  chlorite 
slates  abound.  These  mountains  were  not  followed  beyond  this  point  to 
the  south,  but  it  became  evident  that  the  trapean  rocks  prevailed  at  the 
distance  of  ten  or  twelve  miles  farther  on,  the  sharp  outline  of  the  higher 
hills  corresponding  with  those  of  a  similar  character  observed  in  other 
localities. 

To  the  south-east  and  south-west  the  mountains  were  less  rugged  in 
their  appearance,  a  considerable  extent  of  a  white  micaceous  granite  was 
found,  OR  which  detached  masses  of  sandstone  were  met  with,  containing 
marine  shells,  also  a  conglomerate  apparently  of  the  same  age.  The  fos- 
siliferous  rocks  were  much  disintegrated,  anci  their  fossils  very  imperfect; 
the  species  observed  were  Pectinea  and  Terredina,  and  evidently  were  of 
the  same  age  as  those  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Monte  Diablo ;  all  the 
other  shells  were  so  imperfect  that  nothing  reliable  was  to  be  obtained 
from  their  examination,  being  merely  fragmentary  in  their  character. 

To  return  again  to  the  northern  part  of  this  range  of  mountains,  and 
in  the  vicinity  of  Monterey,  we  shall  find  that  the  fossiliferous  sandstones 
of  this  district  do  not  compare  in  any  degree  with  those  above  noticed, 
but,  to  the  contrary,  all  of  the  marine  fossils  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
range  are  found  to  differ  in  their  character  and  relative  age.  On  the 
Carmello  this  interesting  fact  may  be  conveniently  observed  ;  the  fossils 
are  found  in  an  argilaceous  sandstone,  about  nine  feet  in  thickness,  and 
rests  alike  on  both  serpentine  and  granitic,  and  has  a  dip  of  seven  de 
grees  west.  It  is  found  at  intervals  through  eleven  miles  of  distance  on 
a  course  east  southeast,  and  for  a  breadth  of  about  four  miles ;  this  for 
mation,  which  must  be  regarded  as  the  Post  Pliocene  of  this  country  con 
tains  imbeded  fossils  of  the  genus  cancer,  with' casts  of  Cytherea,  mactra 
and  tellina,  all  of  living  species  in  the  adjoining  Bay  and  Bay  of  Mon 
terey. 

From  the  delicacy  of  the  preservation  of  these  small  animals,  and  the 
character  of  the  rock  in  which  they  are  imbeded,  it  appears  evident  that 
it  must  have  been  deposited  in  still  water,  and  was  probably  an  estero 
into  which  the  tide  ebbed  and  flowed  regularly,  with  sufficient  protec 
tion  to  break  the  violence  of  the  surf  upon  the  coast.  After  its  deposi 
tion  it  had  been  gradually  elevated  above  the  surface  of  the  waters,  and 
subsequently  tilted  from  its  horizontal  position  by  the  intrusion  of  igne 
ous  rocks  in  its  vicinity. 

The  cause  of  its  disturbance  and  inclination  is  found  in  the  intrusion 
of  a  trapean  dike  which  has  cut  through  the  granite  and  clay  state,  which 
latter  passes  into  a  micaceous  schist,  and  near  the  contact  of  the  igneous 
intrusion  small  but  imperfect  garnets  are  found  imbeded.  The  fossilife 
rous  rocks  are  regularly  stratified,  and  cleave  easily  in  one  direction  ; 
they  are  much  twisted  and  contorted  nearest  the  points  at  which  the  tra 
pean  mass  broke  through,  but  become  much  less  curved  as  the  distance 
increases  from  that  centre.  A  clay  of  fine  texture  and  creamy  color  is 
found  resting  on  the  argilaceous  sandstone,  and  covers  a  large  extent  of 
country  stretching  to  the  east  of  Monterey  as  far  as  the  Toro  Hills ;  this 
clay  is  composed  almost  exclusively  of  infusoria,  apparently  of  marine 
origin ;  five  distinct  species  have  been  observed,  four  of  which  are  dis 
coid.  It  is  probable  that  they  have  been  described  either  by  Professor 
Bayley,  of  W  est  Point,  or  Ehrenberg,  as  both  these  gentlemen  have  had 


Doc.  No.  9.]  23 

opportunities  for  the  examination  of  the  infusorial  formations  of  this 
State — and  until  access  may  be  had  to  their  descriptions,  it  will  be  im- 

gossible  to  determine  this  fact.     Specimens  have  been  secured  for  the 
tate  collection,  and  will  be  described  at  the  earliest  opportunity. 

My  route  next  followed  a  northeast  direction  across  the  Toro  Hills 
and  Canada ;  the  first  range  of  high  hills  on  the  north  side  of  the  Car- 
mello,  and  which  divide  the  Toro  from  the  Carmel  valley,  have  an  alti 
tude  of  about  seven  hundred  feet ;  they  are  composed  of  a  coarse  sand 
stone,  containing  a  few  indistinct  impressions  of  shells  of  marine  species ; 
an  out-crop  of  trap  was  observed  among  the  latter  rocks,  flanked  by 
granite  of  the  same  specific  character  as  that  found  at  Point  Pinos,  and 
may  be  seen  four  miles  southwest  of  the  Toro  Eanch.  On  the  south 
side  of  the  valley  an  extensive  bed  of  calcareous  travertine  occurs,  and 
also  a  brecia  of  the  same  character,  they  cover  about  one  mile  of  area; 
no  limestone  rocks  were  found  in  situ  in.  this  vicinity ;  the  travertine 
here  observed,  evidently  had  its  origin  from  springs  highly  charged  with 
calcareous  matter,  and  which  were  undoubtedly  formed  in  the  limestone 
described  on  the  east  side  of  the  Salinas  valley,  and  which  dip  under  the 
same  as  described  in  the  preceding  pages.  From  the  intrusion  of  the 
more  recent  volcanic  rocks  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  those  springs,  it 
is  probable  they  were  diverted  into  another  channel,  and  thus  ceased  to 
flow  in  places  in  which  the  calcareous  tula  is  now  found.  Similar  springs 
now  exist  a  short  distance  from  Santa  Cruz,  around  which  the  calcareous 
deposits  are  very  extensive. 

Crossing  the  Toro  Yalley  or  Canada,  and  following  the  course  of  the 
bay  of  Monterey,  there  is  little  else  to  be  seen  than  the  tertiary  rocks 
for  fifty  miles,  and  extending  easterly  in  elevated  plateaus  and  hills  for 
eighteen  miles  from  the  coast ;  among  the  Chamisal  hills  frequent  intru 
sions  of  trapean  rocks  are  met,  and  in  nearly  every  case  where  this  occurs 
the  granite  is  also  seen  broken  through  by  the  same  igneous  intrusions. 
The  sandstone  is  generally  of  a  buff  colour,  and  yellow-brown,  having  a 
greater  or  less  abundance  of  fossils,  in  some  instances,  firm  and  compact, 
and  again  loose  and  friable ;  it  is  almost  continuous  in  a  northwest  direc 
tion,  being  broken  through  only  by  small  streams,  and  is  found  north 
of  the  mission  of  Santa  Cruz,  from  whence  it  gradually  narrows  out, 
being  found  immediately  on  the  coast  at  the  base  of  the  mountains. 

Beyond  this  point  the  principal  rocks  on  the  coast  are  primitive  and 
volcanic,  forming  sharp,  high  hills  and  low  mountains  with  a  bold  coast 
line. 


SANTA  CKUZ   MOUNTAINS. 

These  mountains  approach  the  coast  a  short  distance  northwest  of  the 
Mission  and  town  of  Santa  Cruz.  They  extend  from  the  head  of  the 
Santa  Clara  Yalley  and  Pajaro  river  to  Mount  Bruno  and  Presidio  Point 
west  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco;  they  are  separated  from  the  moan- 
tain  forming  the  coast  line  to  the  northern  terminus  of  the  State,  by  the 
Golden  Gate  or  entrance  to  the  bay  of  San  Francisco.  The  greatest 
altitude  attained  in  these  mountains,  is  the  Black  Hill,  (Loma  Prieto  or 


24  [APPENDIX 

Umhumin,)  the  latter  being  the  original  Indian  name  applied  to  this 
hill. 

The  entire  range  is  composed,  principally  of  the  primitive  rocks,  among 
which  the  serpentine  formations  play  an  important  part ;  this  suite  was 
traced  from  near  the  Rancho  La  Brae  on  both  flanks  of  the  mountains, 
to  the  Francisquito  on  the  east  side,  and  Anno  Nuevo  on  the  west,  and 
belong  to  ths  same  series  as  those  occuring  at  Point  Lobos  and  the  Pre 
sidio.  In  several  instances  throughout  the  range,  the  trapean  rocks  have 
broken  through,  as  detailed  of  the  mountains  south  of  Monterey. 

On  the  west  flank  of  these  mountains,  and  in  the  central  and  northern 
parts  of  the  .County  of  Santa  Cruz,  there  are  views  of  quartz  cutting 
through  the  serpentine  and  other  rocks  in  other  places  ;  and  is  particu 
larly  observable  on  the  upper  portions  of  the  arroyas  Sogell,  Syant,  and 
Bio  San  Augustine.  The  general  rule  heretofore  laid  down  respecting 
the  contact  of  these  two  groups  of  rocks  in  this  country  is  found  good 
in  the  present  case.  "  That  when  the  two  series  are  found  in  contact, 
either  as  dikes  of  great  length,  or  smaller  views,  one,  or  both  is  always 
auriferous."  And  such  has  proved  to  be  the  fact  in  the  case  before  us  ; 
from  all  appearances  the  quartz  has  been  one  of  the  most  recent  disturb 
ing  agents  here,  as  well  as  elsewhere. 

The  mineral  characteristics  of  these  mountains  will  be  noticed  more  in 
detail  when  speaking  of  that  subject  hereafter. 

The  south-east  spur  of  these  mountains  terminates  at  the  Pajaro  River, 
thirty-six  miles  east  of  Santa  Cruz,  and  fourteen  from  Watson ville.  On 
the  southern  extremity  are  found  -  extensive  beds  of  fossils  finely  pre 
served.  The  arroyo  Peseadero  and  la  Brae  cut  their  way  through  these 
hills,  and  their  beds  abound  with  boulders  containing  these  organic  re 
mains.  The  fossil  sandstone  at  this  point  rests  on  the  Serpentine  and 
trapean  intrusions,  being  changed  in  its  texture  near  the"  points  of  contact 
with  the  latter  rocks.  .  On  these  streams  are  to  be  found  several  bitumi 
nous  springs,  which  discharge  large  quantities  of  the  fluid  bitumen,  at 
times  covering  several  acres  of  ground.  The  occurrence  of  these  springs 
has  led  to  the  belief  that  bituminous  coal  existed  in  this  section,  such,  I 
think,  is  not  the  fact  in  the  present  case,  though  it  might  be  a  tenable  sup 
position  in  parts  of  the  world  where  coal  measures  exist,  or  where  any  of 
the  superior  groups  of  the  secondary  rocks  may  be  found. 

The  position  of  these  springs,  geologically  considered,  would  render  it 
impossible  for  coal  to  abound,  as  -they  make  their  appearance  among  a 
mass  of  rocks  having  an  igneous  origin,  where  not  even  a  lignite  is  likely 
tp  exist.  There  is  but  a  possibility  that  the  tertiary  rocks  in  the  vicinity 
may  overlie  some  members  of  the  secondary  group,  from  which  these 
springs  have  their  origin,  but  no  outcrop  or  other  indications  are  to  be 
found  which  will  warrant  such  a  conclusion.  There  is  every  evidence 
that  the  tertiaries  above  rest  on  the  primitive  and  volcanic  rocks  with  no 
intermediate  series  between  them.  The  origin  of  bituminous  springs  is 
but  little  understood ;  in  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge  they  are 
found  to  arise  from  the  newer  as  well  as  the  older  formations,  and  alone 
are  not  reliable  evidences  of  the  existence  of  coal,  except  when  found 
among. the  carbouiferou-s  rocks. 

Following  the  east  flank  of  the  Santa  Cruz  mountains,  we  find  small 
patches  of  the  tertiary  sandstones  among  the  lower  portions'  of  the  hills, 


Doc.  No.  9.J  25 

0 

from  La  Brae  to  the  Llagos  Creek ;  after  which  they  are  not  again  seen 
for  several  miles.  Near  the  last  named  creek,  the  more  recent  volcanic 
rocks  make  their  appearance  and  continue,  at  short  intervals,  for  sixteen 
miles,  when  we  again  pass  into  the  primitive  formations,  which  become 
more  metaliferous  and  particularly  in  the  region  about  New  Almaden  in 
the  county  of  Santa  Clara, 

North  of  Almaden,  and  near  the  Los  Gatos  Creek,  a  bed  of  recent  con 
glomerate,  loose  and  friable  in  texture,  is  found  occupying  an  elevation  of 
four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  valley,  and  having  a  thickness  of 
about  seventy  feet,  it  occurs  on  both  sides  of  the  Los  Gatos,  and  is  found, 
at  short  intervals,  for  ten  miles,  crossing  Camels  Creek  and  following  its 
banks  for  two  or  three  miles ;  it  has  been  considerably  disturbed  and  large 
masses  have  been  thrown  down.  West  of  McCartyville  the  mountain 
limestone  occurs  in  large  masses  and  is  continuous  for  several  miles  to  the 
west,  north  and  north-west.  Extensive  operations  are  now  conducted  in 
the  manufacture  of  lime  for  the  market,  for  which  purpose  it  is  admirably 
adapted.  This  group  of  calcareous  rocks  cannot  be  less  than  thirty  miles 
in  length  from  east  to  west,  and  has  a  strike  transverse  to  the  line  of  the 
mountain  range,  appearing  on  the  coast  at  Santa  Cruz,  at  this  point  it  is 
highly  crystaline.  These  rocks  extend  north  of  Camel's  Creek  about 
four  miles ;  and  a  calcareous  rock  of  an  amorphous  character  is  found  as 
far  north  as  Sanchez  Eanch,  in  the  County  of  San  Francisco.  The  west 
flank  of  the  mountains,  lying  between  the  San  Mateo  and  a  point  nearly 
west  of  Mission  Dolores,  was  not  examined  personally,  but  from  the  spe 
cimens  of  rocks  from  that  section,  which  I  have  seen,  their  geological  cha 
racters  appear  identical  with  the  rocks  at  the  Presidio,  which  are  mostly 
serpentine. 

On  Presidio  point  are  to  be  found  beds  of  a  Jaspery  rock  having  a 
riband-like  appearance,  and  colors  from  a  greenish  hue  through  red- 
brown  to  red  and  yellow ;  this  rock  has  been  considered  by  Mr.  Dana  as 
a  variety  of  the  Prasoid  rocks,  and  as  he  says — "the  graduation  of  prase 
into  jaspery  rocks  exhibits  a  close  relation  of  both."  These  transitions 
were  met  with  in  other  parts  of  the  country  over  which  he  had  travelled. 
In  relation  to  this  subject  he  further  says — "From  the  transitions  that 
occur,  it  also  appears  that  the  jasper  and  prase  rocks  are  closely  connected 
with  the  talcose  series,  and  that  the  translucent  jasper  and  bloodstones  of 
this  section  are  only  different  varieties  of  its  condition."  The  jaspery 
rocks  of  San  Francisco  are  worthy  of  description  ;  the  green,  red  and 
yellow  varieties  occur  in  the  same  vicinity,  they  form  a  series  of  layers 
averaging  two  inches  in  thickness,  and  varying  from  half  an  inch  to  four 
inches ;  the  layers  are  distinct  and  separted  by  open  seams,  and  on  the 
front  of  bluffs  or  ledges  the  rock  has  a  riband-like  appearance,  the  layers 
coalesce  and  sub-divide  without  regularity  though  uniformly  parallel, 
they  are  often  twisted,  and  thus  change  at  short  intervals  from  a  vertical 
position  to  a  dip  of  twenty  degrees." 

The  colors  red  and  yellow  are  often  mingled  and  sometimes  appear  as 
parallel  bands ;  in  some  instances,  the  surface  is  red  while  the  rock  is 
yellow  beneath,  this  may  have  resulted  from  the  burning  of  a  tree  on  the 
spot,  for  by  heat  the  yellow  varieties  readily  change  to  red ;  a  small  spe 
cimen  had  an  agate-like  structure  as  though  formed  from  an  aqueous 
solution. 
4 


26  [APPENDIX 

An  impure  talcose  rock  occurs  at  Point  Lobos,  which  extends  east  for 
one  and  a  half  miles.  The  works  of  the  "Mountain  Lake  Water  Com 
pany"  have  been  carried  through  a  portion  of  these  rocks,  and  the  masses 
of  serpentine  that  have  been  elevated  to  the  surface  from  the  depth  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  have  exhibited  an  interesting  feature  in  the 
history  of  these  rocks.  It  was  found,  on  examination,  that  the  strong 
odor  given  off  from  these  stones  was  composed  of  free  Bromine  and 
Iodine ;  it  is  very  persistent,  and  specimens  which  have  been  exposed 
to  the  air  for  nearly  three  months  have  not  lost  their  odor. 

From  the  Presidio  on  the  bluffs  near  the  bay,  slates  and  sandstones 
are  found  in  a  much  disturbed  condition  from  intrusions  of  trap ;  the 
strata  are  much  contorted  and  twisted,  and  tilted  in  every  direction,  the 
inclination  varying  fron  five  degrees  to  vertically  in  very  short  distances. 
These  rocks,  as  yet,  have  presented  no  fossils  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  city,  but  pass  into  tertiary  sandstone,  containing  organinc  remains 
one  mile  west  of  Montgomery  Street,  San  Francisco,  where  they  may  be 
found  forming  the  west  point  of  the  North  Beach. 

South  of  the  city  and  near  Rincon  Point,  the  trachytes  appear  with 
small  veins  of  quartz  running  through  them  and  the  adjoining  slates ; 
the  latter  having  suffered  considerable  change  in  structure  near  the  point 
-of  contact  with  the  igneous  rocks.  Traces  of  carbonate  of  copper  are 
observable  in  this  vicinity. 

Crossing  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  from  Presidio  Point,  the  rocks  on 
the  Saucelito  side  correspond  with  the  primitive  formations  above  de 
scribed.  The  serpentine  series  continue  for  several  miles  up  the  bay, 
varying  in  its  mineral  characters  at  short  distances.  At  San  Quentin 
the  rocks  are  schistose,  and  half  a  mile  beyond,  again  passes  into  a  mas 
sive  form,  and  contains  actinolite  in  fan-like  groups  of  crystals ;  a  mile 
beyond  this,  the  rock  becomes  hornblendic,  and  thence  gradually  pas 
ses  into  a  trap  formation,  containing  well  defined  crystals  of  the  latter 
mineral. 

On  reaching  the  northern  shores  of  the  Bay  San  Pablo  the  hills  to  the 
north  appeared  rugged  and  conical,  indicating  a  preponderance  of  the 
volcanic  rocks. 

The  route  traveled  next,  lay  through  the  Counties  of  Solano  and 
Napa.  It  has  been  before  remarked  that  the  sand-stone  on  one  side  of 
the  Straits  Carquinez  was  identical  with  that  on  the  other,  and  the  line 
of  dip  in  both  will  be  found  to  correspond.  These  rocks  are  permeated 
by  minute  threads  of  quartz,  and  contain  considerable  quantities  of  mag 
netic  sand  ;  in  some  cases  the  quartz  viens  acquire  a  thickness  of  one  or 
two  inches,  and  have  in  several  instances  been  found  to  contain  gold, 
while  the  sand-stone  itself  possessed  this  character  in  a  limited  degree  ; 
it  is  contained  mechanically  in  these  latter  rocks,  and  in  general  will  be 
found  as  a  local  deposit  only.  Small  quantities  of  this  metal  have  been 
found  in  the  stone  used  for  building  in  San  Francisco,  which  were  taken 
from  the  quarries  in  the  vicinity  of  Benecia.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
these  rocks  would  ever  warrant  mining  explorations,  except  in  those 
locations  where  the  quartz  has  intruded  to  a  considerable  extent.  In 
this  case  they  would  prove  of  sufficient  value  probably,  for  mining  in 
the  rocks  below  the  sand-stope,  and  would  be  governed  by  the  same 


Doc.  No.  9.]  27 

natural  laws  that  are  found  to  prevail  in  other  parts  of  the  country  in 
relation  to  auriferous  veins. 

These  sand-stones  are  found  to  extend  into  the  interior  in  a  northwest 
direction,  a  distance  of  about  eight  [miles,  when  they  are  succeeded  by 
volcanic  rocks  of  recent  date  for  thirty  miles  in  the  same  direction ;  the 
points  of  contact  in  the  igneous  and  sedimentary  rocks  exhibit  distinct 
and  striking  marks  of  change  in  structure  among  the  latter  in  many 
places,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  trachytic  injections  into  the 
sand-stone  along  the  line  of  coast  on  the  bay  and  straits. 

Where  these  veins  are  large,  the  sandstone  in  contact  is  often  nearly 
as  hard  as  the  trepan  rockf'  itself,  a  true  conchodial  fracture,  having  q_uite 
sharp  or  roughened  edges,  with  a  semi-earthy  surface,  is  the  result  of 
this  metamorphosis.  Above  this  sandstone  and  resting  directly  upon  it, 
is  a  littoral  sea-beach,  having  an  elevation  of  about  thirty  feet  above 
high  tides,  and  extending  for  several  miles  along  the  coast  of  the  bay. 
It  is  composed  of  fragmentary  and  entire  shells,  mixed  with  a  little  sand 
and  clay ;  its  thickness  varies  from  one  to  three  feet.  Its  position  is  im 
mediately  below  the  alluvium. 

It  forms  a  distant  white  line  along  the  bay  coast  of  San  Pablo  on  its 
north  side  for  eight  miles,  and  may  be  seen  at  the  town  of  Benicia  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  sandstone  quarries  at  that  place.  The  shells  of  which 
this  beach  is  composed  consist  of  a  small  species  of  ostrea,  purpura,  and 
other  small  shells  now  inhabiting  these  waters.  The  elevation  of  this 
beach  points  to  a  period  comparatively  recent,  when  subterranean  forces 
were  in  operation  in  elevating  the  lands  adjoining  the  coasts  and  bays, 
which  part  of  our  subject  will  be  considered  more  in  detail  when  re 
viewing  the  geological  changes  which  have  occurred  in  the  different  por 
tions  of  the  coast-line  followed. 

Among  the  sandstones  of  this  region  is  a  bed  of  limestone  having  an 
average  thickness  of  two  feet ;  it  is  found  one  mile  north  of  the  town. 
This  limestone  was  traced  in  a  northeast  direction  for  two  miles,  and  is 
probably  the  same  range  as  observed  by  Mr.  Tyson  on  the  east  side  of 
the  hills  on  Suisun  Bay. 

The  foot  of  the  ridge  lying  between  Suisun  and  Napa  Valleys,  was 
followed  for  twenty  miles.  At  this  distance  from  the  bays  it  attains  an 
altitude  of  about  twelve  hundred  feet.  The  rocks  composing  this  ridge 
are  mostly  volcanic,  with  sandstone  on  their  eastern  flanks  dipping  east 
towards  the  Sacramento  Valley ;  a  few  very  imperfect  casts  of  marine 
shells  were  observed,  but  none  sufficiently  perfect  for  preservation. 

The  ridge  on  the  west  border  of  Napa  Valley  presents  much  the  same 
characteristics  as  those  on  the  east.  These  two  ridges  unite  about  eight 
een  miles  north  of  Napa  City,  at  which  place  they  become  extremely 
rugged  and  elevated. 

The  highest  and  most  conspicuous  peak  in  this  range  is  Mount  Helen ; 
its  sharply  defined  outline  and  truncated  summit  shows  most  conclusive 
ly  its  volcanic  origin.  A  section  cutting  Napa  Valley  nine  miles  south 
of  the  town  was  made,  and  carried  across  the  Sacramento  Valley  to  the 
foot-hills  on  its  eastern  side,  by  which  the  grade  of  both  valleys  and  the 
altitude  of  the  hills  were  obtained. 

Before  reviewing  the  geological  changes  that  have  occurred  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  Monte  Diablo  and  Coast  Mountains,  a  view  of  that  part 


28  APPENDIX 

of  the  great  basin  separating  the  Coast  Mountains  from  the  Sierras  will 
be  given ;  and  in  speaking  of  the  Sacramento  Valley,  that  of  the  San 
Joaquin  will  also  be  included,  and  the  physical  characters  of  both  brief 
ly  explained. 


STKUCTUKE  OF  THE  VALLEYS  OF  SACKAMENTO  AND 

SAN  JOAQUIN. 

These  valleys  forma  "single  geographical  formation,"*  stretching 
from  the  terminal  spurs  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  at  the  north,  to  the 
junction  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  with  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Monte 
Diablo  range  with  the  thirty -fourth  parallel  of  north  latitude.  The 
length  of  the  valley  is  about  three  hundred  arid  eighty  miles  in  length 
on  an  air  line,  with  a  breadth  of  fifty  miles  at  its  widest  point. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  valley  is  that  of  an  extended  plain 
composed  of  alluvium,  and  this  opinion  would  obtain  in  the  mind  of 
any  person  whose  line  of  travel  should  lead  him  over  the  lower  terra 
ces  of  the  plain,  or  what  is  denominated  its  bottom  lands.  It  is  only 
by  making  a  transverse  section  of  this  plain  that  we  should  be  able  to 
arrive  at  any  correct  conclusions  of  its  structure,  and  peculiarities  of  its 
formation ;  by  pursuing  this  course,  very  distinctive  and  marked  fea 
tures  are  observable  of  different  periods  of  elevation  to  which  this  por 
tion  of  the  country  has  been  subjected  subsequent  to  its  emergence 
above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

To  arrive  at  a  correct  understanding  of  the  formation  of  the  "  Cali 
fornia  Basin,  "f  we  must  first  observe  the  rocks  which  form  its  borders, 
their  character,  position  and  relative  age ;  and  in  doing  this  it  will  be 
necessary  to  pass  beyond  either  of  its  margins  to  ascertain  the  facts  on 
which  an  opinion  may  be  founded. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  basin  and  at  the  distance  of  fourteen  miles  from 
its  border,  we  find  the  first  out-crop  of  the  primitive  rocks,  (granite)  on 
hills  attaining  an  elevation  of  about  one  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 
Resting  upon  this,  we  find  detached  masses  of  sand-stone,  which  increase 
to  a  well  defined  formation  a  few  miles  to  the  west ;  immediately  below 
the  latter  a  bed  of  slate  makes  its  appearance,  having  a  dip  varying  from 
thirty  degrees  to  nearly  a  vertical  position,  but  as  the  lower  hills  are  ap 
proached,  the  inclination  of  these  rocks  become  much  less.  Below  the 
slate,  a  conglomerate  having  an  argelaceous  cement  is  found,  firm  in  its 
texture,  with  a  dip  corresponding  to  the  other  rocks  with  which  it  is 
associated ;  the  pebbles  composing  the  conglomerate  are  quartz,  jasper, 
granite  and  trap  ;  at  times  this  rock  is  highly  ferruginous.  The  compo 
nents  of  the  rock  are  made  up  from  rocks*  found  in  the  mountains  to  the 
east,  and  must  have  been  formed  subsequent  to  the  appearance  of  the  older 
trapean  formations  of  this  part  of  the  country. 

Succeeding  the  conglomerate,^  which  by  way  of  distinction,  we  will 
denominate  Eocene,  another  bed  of  fissile  cla}^  slate  and  aluminous  clay 

*  Col.  J.  C.  Fremont. 

f  Being  similar  to  the  London  and  Paris  Basins,  this  name  will  be  adopted. 
\  This  suite  of  rocks  are  often  confounded  with  another  group,  of  the  same  character  which 
appear  of  more  recent  date,  and  are  found  south  of  Consumnes  river  only. 


Doc.  No.  9.] 


29 


occurs,  having  a  thickness  of  about  one  hundred  feet ;  these  rocks  com 
port  in  position  with  the  other  sedimentary  rocks  above  them,  and  are 
found  resting  directly  on  the  granite,  and  other  igneous  rocks  far  into 
the  interior ;  in  the  lower  hills  their  structure  is  fissile,  cleaving  with 
ease  over  considerable  surfaces,  while  in  the  eastern  parts  of  the  moun 
tains  they  have  often  acquired  a  crystaliiie  structure  from  contact  with 
other  and  more  recent  volcanic  rocks,  and  such  as  have  broken  through 
and  disturbed  the  primitive  formation. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  valley  or  basin,  the  series  do  not  follow  in 
precisely  the  same  order  as  occurs  on  the  east ;  the  sandstone  and  slate 
of  the  same  age  is  found,  but  the  conglomerate  is  wanting ;  if  it  exists, 
it  is  completely  obscured  from  view,  except  on  the  west  slope  of  the 
coast  mountains  towards  the  sea,  and  its  occurrence  there  is  a  reason  for 
the  supposition  that  it  does  exist  below  the  other  stratified  rocks  on  their 
eastern  slope.  Above  all  the  others,  the  miocene  rocks  are  found  dis 
turbed  and  cut  through  by  the  recent  volcanic  intrusions  of  that  period. 

The  following  then  will  be  the  arrangement  of  the  rocks  from  below 
upward : 


EAST  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO  RIVER, 


Primary  Rocks. 


Sedimentary. 

I 


Granite. 

Slates. 

Conglomerate. 
Slates. 
Sandstone. 


WEST  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO  RIVER, 
Primary  Rocks.  Granite. 

Slates. 

Uncertain.  Conglomerate. 

Sedimentary.         Sandstone,  Eocene. 
Sandstone  Miocene. 
Recent  volcanic  cuting  the  latter. 


"With  this  arrangement  of  the  stratified  rocks  which  pass  under  the 
California  Basin,  it  is  obvious,  that  the  waters  flowing  at  the  line  of 
junction  between  the  sandstone  and  the  slate-rocks  below  them,  muss 
pass  under  the  sides  and  central  parts  of  the  valley,  varying  in  depth  at 
the  distance  from  either  of  its  borders  increases. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  dip  of  the  sedimentary  rocks  on 
which  the  alluvium  of  the  valley  reposes,  will  increase  or  diminish  the 
distance  that  may  be  necessary  to  bore  for  obtaining  water,  as  the  incli 
nation  of  these  rocks  is  greater  or  less ;  and  with  the  view  to  demonstrate 
if  possible,  (or  at  least  approximately)  the  depth  that  it  might  be  neces 
sary  to  sink  in  order  to  obtain  a  plentiful  supply  of  water  for  agricul 
ture  or  other  purposes,  an  examination  of  both  borders  of  the  basin  was 
made  of  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  the  mean  of  all  the  dips  taken. 

It  was  found  by  measurement  that  the  surface  of  the  basin  rises  at 
the  average  rate  of  six  feet  per  mile  from  the  river  to  either  of  its  bor 
ders.  Taking  the  grade  of  the  surface  with  the  lowest  average  dip  of 
the  rocks  where  they  pass  under  it,  (being  equal  to  twelve  degrees,)  and 
assuming  that  the  sedimentary  rocks  decrease  in  inclination,  as  the  dis 
tance  increases,  which  is  probably  the  case,  it  will  be  found  necessary  to 


30 


[APPENDIX 


reach,  the  depth  of  775  feet  at  the  City  of  Sacramento,  in  order  to  obtain 
a  permanent  supply  of  water. 

This  presumytion  is  based  upon  the  fact  that  a  constant  source  does 
not  exist  above  the  conglomerate,  and  this  point  is  selected  more  for  the 
purpose  of  exhibiting  the  greatest  probable  depth  at  which  a  permanent 
supply  of  water  wiuld  be  found ;  the  probabilities  of  obtaining  water  at 
much  less  depths  is  strong,  and  amounts  to  almost  a  certainty,  that  water 
would  be  found  immediately  below  the  sandstone,  and  above  the  first 
slates ;  in  that  case  the  depth  would  be  diminished  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet. 

If  a  correct  idea  of  the  inclination  of  the  sedimentary  rocks  is  pre 
sented  in  the  diagram,  we  shall  have  the  following  depths  at  different 
distances  from  the  centre  of  the  basin,  on  both  sides. 


ON  THE  WEST  SIDE  OF  TPIE  RIVER,  j    ON  THE  EAST  SIDE  OF  THE  RIVER. 


11  miles, 700  feet. 

15      "     650      " 

22      "  ..550      " 


Sacramento  City, 775  feet. 

12  miles, 700      " 

17      "     650      " 

20      "  ..625      " 


At  the  distance  of  twenty  miles  the  rolling  hills  are  entered  in  which 
springs  usually  abound. 

The  rocks  on  both  sides  of  the  valley  are  arranged  in  the  order  in 
which  they  occur,  as  observed  by  the  outcrop. 


Sandstone, 


EOCENE, 


Fosil  Sandstone, 

Trap, 

Granite, 


Sandstones  and  upper  Slates, 
Conglomerate,  EOCENE. 
Lower  clay  Slates. 
Granite. 


These  rocks  included  within  the  Eocene  lines  are  classed  by  Mr.  Dana, 
as  the  early  sandstone,  slates,  and  conglomerates,  to  distinguish  them 
from  the  more  recent  tertiaries  among  the  Coast  Mountains. 

The  geological  structure  of  this  basin  was  noticed  by  Mr.  Tyson  in 
1849.  He  examined  it  with  a  view  to  ascertain  whether  a  deposit  of 
coal  might  not  exist  below  the  surface;  and  also  whether  its  structure 
would  indicate  the  means  of  supplying  water  for  agricultural  and  me 
chanical  purposes. 

In  regard  to  the  first  question  he  says :  "  The  first  query  is  answered 
by  the  fact  of  finding  the  comparatively  recent  strata  of  a  formation,  not 
older  tjaan  the  eocene  and  miocene  periods,  resting  immediately  on  the  met- 
amorphic  or  hypogene  rocks  of  ancient  origin,  the  remaining  members 
with  all  the  sedimentary  rocks  of  older  date  being  entirely  wanting, 
and  the  the  coal  formation,  which  belongs  to  the  lower  of  the  second 
ary  series."  A  coal  formation  under  the  basin  is  therefore  out  of  the 


Doc.  No.  9.]  31 

•» 

question,  unless  deeply  seated,  and  entirely  covered,  edges  and  all,  by 
the  sedimentary  rocks  above  noticed^ 

The  character  of  the  soil  in  many  parts  of  this  valley  will  render  it 
of  little  importance  as  an  agricultural  district,  unless  water  in  ample 
quantities  for  irrigation  can  be  obtained.  (These  remarks  apply  partic 
ularly  to  the  upper  terrace  of  the  valley  on  each  side  of  the  river.)  And 
we  hope  that  attention  may  be  called  to  this  very  important  subject  of 
making  the  extensive  areas  of  the  arid  districts  of  the  basin  available 
for  market  and  agricultural  purposes." 

Experience  has  demonstrated  the  almost  certainty  of  obtaining  water 
and  in  sufficient  quantities  for  agricultural  and  other  purposes,  in  all  val 
leys  resting  upon  sedimentary  formations  and  having  a  basin-shaped 
structure,  and  where  the  different  beds  have  a  degree  of  uniformity  or 
regularity  in  their  position,  and  are  of  a  texture  that  will  admit  the  free 
percolation  of  water  through  the  superior  beds  and  sufficiently  firm  to 
prevent  its  escape  in  those  below. 

These  conditions  are  all  fulfilled  in  the  basin  of  the  Sacramento,  and 
from  the  united  testimony  of  different  observers,  we  have  ample  evi 
dence  that  the  sedimentary  formations  of  one  side  are  the  same  as  those 
upon  the  other,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  the  conglomerate. 

The  absence  of  the  conglomerate  on  the  west  side  of  the  basin,  will 
not  affect  the  result  of  obtaining  water  by  the  means  proposed.  The 
clays  and  clay-slate,  below  the  sandstone,  appear  on  both  sides  and  are 
sufficiently  impervious  and  firm  to  prevent  the  escape  of  any  water  that 
may  rest  upon  them.*" 


EEYIEW  OF  THE  GEOLOGICAL   CHANGES  IN  THE  COAST 
MOUNTAINS  AND  MONTE  DIABLO  EANGE. 

Having  briefly  detailed  the  more  general  characteristics  of  the  geology 
of  the  above  mountains,  it  will  become  necessary  to  review  in  a  mea 
sure  the  geological  changes  that  have  been  instrumental  in  producing 
the  peculiar  features  noticed  in  the  preceeding  pages  ;  in  doing  this  the 
same  lines  will  be  followed  as  in  the  outset. 

Starting  from  the  Straits  of  Carquinez,  it  has  been  stated  that  the 
rocks  forming  the  borders  of  those  Straits  and  part  of  the  adjoining 
bays,  were  composed  of  a  recent  sandstone  ;  in  following  up  these  in  a 
southerly  direction  for  a  few  miles,  we  find  the  sedimentary  rocks  thin- 
ing  out,  and  are  succeeded  by  high  hills  and  low  mountains  of  volcanic 
rocks,  composed  of  trochytes  and  other  intrusive  rocks  of  recent  date. 
'These  are  followed  by  the  primitive  rocks,  composed  of  the  older  trap, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Oakland,  consist  in  a  great  measure  of  serpen 
tine. 

The  latter  rocks  form  the  western  side  of  this  part  of  the 


*  Since  October  last,  there  have  been  three  Artesian  borings,  carried  to  depths  within  one 
hundred  feet,  on  the  valley  of  Santa  Clara,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Jose.  The  result  of 
each  has  been  successful,  and  a  head  of  water  from  four  to  nine  feet  has  been  obtained. 
These  indications  of  water  so  near  the  surface  and  in  such  quantities,  will  much  enhance  the 
value  ot  agricultural  land  throughout  this  valley  and  render  available  much  that  would 
otherwise  have  laid  unocupied  and  unimproved  for  years. 


32  [APPENDIX 

Diablo  Range  for  thirty-five  miles,  where  a  district  of  the  recent  volcanic 
rocks  is  again  entered,  which  continue  to  the  head  of  the  Canada  San 
Benito  and  San  Juan,  for  a  distance  of  about  eighty  miles. 

Re  turning 'on  the  Grabilan  spur  of  these  mountains,  and  which  form 
the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Salinas  Plains,  the  primitive  rocks  are  met 
with  for  twenty-eight  miles,  flank^il  on  the  east  by  the  recent  igneous 
rocks  of  the  same  age  as  those  appearing  at  the  Santa  Anna  peaks, 
twelve  miles  to  the  east ;  (during  one  of  the  convulsions  that  agitated  this 
part  of  the  country,  about  four  hundred  feet  of  the  Galiban  Peak,  on 
its  northeast  side,  was  fractured  and  thrown  down  into  a  deep  ravine 
at  its  base,)  intrusive  dikes  have  had  the  effect  to  change  the  sedi 
mentary  rocks  when  found  in  contact  with  the  same. 

In  the  Coast  Mountains  to  the  west,  the  granite  and  serpentine  series 
are.  predominant,  and  on  these  rest  the  sedimentary  rocks,  of  early  and 
recent  date,  unchanged  generally,  except  in  local  position. 

Crossing  the  Pajaro  Valley  and  entering  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains, 
the  main  ridge  is  composed  of  the  granite  and  serpentine  rocks  on  which 
rest  the  fossififerous  formations  as  those  above  mentioned.  The  primi 
tive  series  extend  north  into  the  County  of  San  Francisco,  but  unlike 
the  formations  in  the  County  of  Santa  Cruz ;  no  tertiaries,  containing 
fossils,  are  to  be  found,  except  in  the  sandstone  forming  the  point  to  the 
west  of  the  North  Beach,  and  here  the  Pholas  and  some  other  shells  of 
present  existing  species  are  found.  South  of  the  city  the  trachytes 
have  intruded  through  the  slates,  producing  considerable  disturbance 
both  by  uplift  and  change  of  structure  in  the  latter ;  on  the  north  side 
of  the  city,  similar  features  are  to  be  seen,  but  on  a  more  extensive 
scale ;  among  the  deep  excavations  which  have  been  made  about  Clark's 
Point,  it  is  found  that  the  stratified  rocks  have  been  tilted  from  the  hori 
zontal  position,  and  in  some  cases  twisted  and  contorted  into  every  con 
ceivable  position ;  at  one  time  presenting  a  wave-like  form,  and  in  the 
distance  of  a  few  yards,  passing  from  this  to  high  angles  or  vertical ity. 

Northwest  of  the  Telegraph  Hill  the  active  causes  of  this  diversity  in 
the  appearance  of  the  rocks  is  seen.  Nearly  on  a  line  with  Dupont 
street,  and  fronting  the  bay,  is  a  dike  of  the  trap  rock,  passing  up 
through  the  sedimentary  rocks  above.  A  change  of  structure  in  the 
sandstone  in  contact  with  the  dike  is  observed. 

This  class  of  rocks  (the  volcanic)  occur  at  frequent  intervals  along  the 
bay  coast  on  the  west  side,  and  thence  into  the  valley  of  the  Santa  Clara. 
At  the  distance  of  four  miles  south  of  San  Jose  they  form  the  low  hills 
that  protrude  into  this  valley  from  the  western  side,  and  which  are  con 
tinued  at  intervals  to  the  arroga  Llagos,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  beyond. 

In  none  of  the  lower  hills  on  this  side  of  the  valley  are  the  volcanic  • 
rocks  found  in  contact  with  the  sedimentary  formations,  until  after  pas 
sing  the  above  arroya,  and  then  only  after  first  breaking  through  fissures 
in  the  primitive  rocks  after  reaching  the  Pescadero. 

The  intrusion  of  these  rocks  among  the  primitive  series  is  marked  by 
a  discoloration  of  the  rock  through  which  the  dike  has  passed,  some 
times  of  several  inches  in  breadth  on  each  side  of  the  volcanic  vein  ; 
this  is  more  particularly  observable  where  the  disturbed  rock  is  of  the 
granite  class  ;  in  that  case  it  usually  presents  a  brown,  or  reddish  brown 
color,  and  is  decidedly  more  given  to  decomposition  than  at  a  short  dis  • 


Doc.  No.  9.  j  33 

tance  from  the  intrusive  material.  The  slates  and  sandstones  when  thus 
acted  upon  assume  either  a  sub-crystaline  or  completely  metamorphosed 
structure,  and  comport  themselves  in  this  particular  much  in  the  same 
manner  as  similar  formations  on  the  west  sloue  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

The  area  covered  by  the  metamorphic  rocks  in  the  Coast  Mountains  is 
not  as  extensive  as  those  of  the  mining  sections,  but  the  changes,  when 
they  do  occur,  are  equally  as  perfect  and  complete.  The  most  extensive 
change  of  this  character  noticed  among  these  mountains  was  that  on  the 
Alameda  Creek  in  Sunol  Valley,  eight  miles  north-east  of  the  Mission 
San  Jose,  and  again  after  crossing  this  valley  on  the  road  to  Livermore's. 
The  slates  on  the  creek  were  changed  into  a  hard,  compact  rock,  for 
the  distance  of  one  mile,  and  three-fourths  of  a  mile  beyond  they  had 
assumed  a  porphyritic  character. 

Following  this  series  to  the  right  of  the  road,  among  the  hills  which 
divide  Sunol's  from  Livermore's  Valley,  the  greenstone-trap  became 
largely  developed,  with  basaltic  fragments  among  the  drift  of  the  arro- 
yas.  On  the  east  side  of  Livermore's  valley  the  fossiliferous  rocks  again 
made  their  appearance,  and  continued  south  for  eight  miles,  beyond 
which  to  the  south  the  mountains  were  not  examined. 

The  classification  of  the  rocks  in  these  mountains  according  to  their 
relative  ages  will  follow  as  next  in  order. 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  EOCKS  OF  THE  COAST  MOUN 
TAINS  AND  MONTE  DIABLO  KANGE. 

Our  most  northern  point  in  this  case  will  be  Bodega  Head  and  a  line 
forty-three  miles  north  of  Napa  City,  and  in  this  case  shall  avail  myself 
of  that  part  of  Mr.  Tyson's  report  on  this  part  of  the  country,  and  which 
is  contained  in  Senate  Doc.  No  47,  1st  Sess.  31st  Cong.,  this  being  the 
most  northern  geological  section  yet  made. 

By  reference  to  his  section,  we  find  that  the  primitive  rocks  occur  as 
far  north  in  the  Coast  Mountains  as  the  above  locality  named,  and  that 
the  rocks  of  sedimentary  origin  are  found  to  rest  directly  on  the  primi 
tive  rocks  for  a  considerable  distance  east  from  the  coast  line. 

After  reaching  eight  or  nine  miles  from  the  coast,  the  recent  volcanic 
group  succeeds  the  primitive,  when  the  latter  is  again  replaced  in  the 
hills  bordering  the  western  edge  of  the  basin  ;  from  this  view  of  the 
case  it  appears  that  all  the  rocks  of  this  section  are  similar  in  their  posi 
tions  with  those  detailed  farther  south. 

Commencing  with  the  lowest  in  order  we  find  : 

FIRST. — The  granite  series  and  serpentines  ;  on  these  rest  the  older 
sedimentary  rocks. 

SECOND. — The  more  recent  volcanic  rocks.  These  are  more  largely 
distributed  through  the  Monte  Diablo  Range.  They  consist  of  trachytes 
and  lavas,  and  have  protruded  through  all  other  formations  that  preced 
ed  them.  These  rocks  form  at  least  three-fourths  of  the  mountain  range 
extending  from  Point  San  Pablo  to  the  head  of  the  Canada  San  Juan, 
5 


34  [APPENDIX 

beyond  which  the  primitive  rocks  again  occur,  and  continue  to  the  ex 
treme  southern  point  visited. 

THIRD. — THE  TERTIARIES.  These  complete  the  formations  found  in 
these  mountains.  For  convenience  of  description,  this  class  will  be 
sub-divided  into  the  different  periods  to  which  they  belong.  They  will 
occur  as  follows : 


PERIOD. 
Eocene. 

Miocene, 

Pliocene. 
Post  Pliocene. 


GROUP. 

Middle. 


Lower. 


WHERE  FOUND. 

Calaveras  County,  at  Murphy's,  and  other  local 
ities. 

Bones  of  extinct  animals,  <fec. 

North  and  south  of  San  Francisco  in  the  Coast 
and  Monte  Diablo  Mountains. 

Consisting  of  marine  shells  with  most  of  the  spe 
cies  extinct. 

Coast  Mountains  and  Gabilan  Spur.  Also  in  cav 
ern  deposits  in  Calaveras  County. 

Southwest  of  Monterey. 

Marine  shells,  all  of  existing  species. 


POSITION  AND  KELATION   OF  THE  VOLCANIC  KOCKS  TO 

THE  TEETIAEIES. 

Before  entering  upon  a  description  of  the  relations  of  the  recent  vol 
canic  group  with  the  primitive  rocks,  it  is  thought  best  to  examine  their 
positions  and  effects,  among  the  sedimentary  formations,  both  ancient 
and  modern ;  in  order  to  elucidate  more  distinctly  the  difference  in  age, 
of  another  group  of  the  volcanic  series,  which  have  been  described  as 
having  been  cotemporaneous  with  those  under  consideration,  and  of 
which  there  is  some  question. 

The  examination  of  the  Coast  Mountains  has  shown  us  the  fact,  that 
those  forces  on  the  west  side  of  the  basin,  which  have  been  instrumental 
in  elevating  the  range,  have  had  the  effect  to  produce  a  series  of  contin 
uous  and  nearly  parallel  ridges,  throughout  the  greatest  portion  of  their 
length ;  this  peculiarity  will  force  itself  upon  the  observation  of  the 
traveler  if  they  are  crossed  at  almost  any  point  transversely  to  their 
course. 

In  many  parts  of  this  range,  the  ridges  are  narrow,  and  the  decliv 
ities  steep,  and  the  higher  isolated  peaks  are  conical.  On  the  summits 
of  these  ridges,  there  are  often  to  be  found  nothing  btit  bare  vblcanic 
rocks  which  are  mostly  of  a  trachytic  character ;  on  the  sides  of  some 
of  the  hills,  which  are  less  abrupt,  are  to  be  met  beds  of  sandstones  and 
at  times  a  few  slates  which  from  their  nature  modify  and  soften  the 
rugged  contour  of  the  surrounding  country,  by  their  easy  disintegra 
tion  from  natural  causes. 

The.  sedimentary  rocks,  as  far  as  observed  in  this  part  of  the  State, 
are,  without  exception,  of  marine  origin — the  fossils  they  contain  being 


Doc.  No.  9.]  35 

of  that  character  exclusively.*  In  some  parts  of  the  country^they  form 
beds  of  considerable  thickness,  and  are  rich  in  organic  remains.  In 
some  parts  of  the  mountains,  the  shells  are  of  present  existing  species, 
not  found  upon  the  coast  at  the  present  time ;  these  consist  of  three  or 
four  species  of  the  Area,  and  one  or  two  of  the  Pectinea ;  these  rocks 
are  commonly  found  resting  upon  the  primitive  series,  though  at  times 
on  some  of  the  more  recent  igneous  intrusions.  It  is  considered  very 
doubtful  by  our  conchologists  in  this  part  of  the  world,  whether  the 
living  shells  of  the  above  species  now  inhabit  these  waters ;  and  yet 
these  imbeded  remains  are  found  in  abundance  on  the  summits  of  our 
hills,  removed  many  miles  inland  from  the  element  they  formerly  in 
habited. 

The  fossils  of  this  part  of  the  Coast  Mountains,  and  which  now  ap 
pear  to  be  extinct,  consist  of  three  species  of  the  gryphae,  two  at  least, 
of  Pectinea,  Astarte  and  Cytherea,  the  species  of  which  will  be  noticed 
more  in  detail  in  another  part  of  this  report. 

The  position  of  the  miocene  rocks  in  the  northern  part  of  these  moun 
tains,  appears  to  be  directly  succeeding  the  primitive ;  yet  it  is  found 
often  that  they  rest  upon  the  trachytes;  in  all  cases  that  have  met  my 
observation,  the  latter  rocks  when  thus  found  in  contact  with  the  sedi 
mentary  group  of  this  period,  have  broken  through  fissures  in  the  prim 
itive  formations,  subsequent  to  the  elevations  which  occurred  during 
the  miocene  and  middle  pliocene  periods,  or  perhaps  during  the  deposi 
tion  of  the  latter.  The  trachytic  rocks  north  of  Napa,  where  they 
leave  the  sedimentary  group,  gradually  pass  into  vesicular  lavas,  and 
in  these  sections  considerable  quantities  of  obsidian  are  to  be  met  with ; 
the  Indians  in  the  vicinity  of  Clear  Lake  use  it  for  the  manufacture  of 
their  arrow-heads. 

Again,  on  the  shores  of  Suisun  and  San  Pablo  bays,  and  on  the 
Straits  Carquinez,  these  igneous  rocks  are  found  injected  into  the  seams 
of  the  sandstone,  contorting  the  strata  to  a  considerable  degree.  West 
of  these  bays  tjie  primitive  rocks  occur  at  intervals  for  several  miles, 
and  the  fossilifemus  rocks  are  found  holding  the  same  position  as  those 
further  north.  These  alternate  intrusions  of  the  trachytic  rocks  con 
tinue  south  among  the  mountains  on  the  east  side  of  the  Bay  San  Fran 
cisco,  and  for  thirty -five  miles  beyond  its  southern  extremity ;  after  this 
they  pass  into  porus  lava,  and  compact  masses,  ceasing  to  present  any 
traces  of  fossiliferous  deposits  resting  upon  them  for  forty  miles  on  this 
western  ridge ;  after  this  they  again  (the  fossiliferous)  make  their  ap 
pearance  in  small  detached  masses,  which  gradually  increase  to  a  well 
defined  formation  beyond. 

These  rocks  in  many  instances  are  found  to  rest  upon  the  recent  vol 
canic  series  direct,  and  in  these  cases  we  find,  as  may  be  expected,  a 
corresponding  change  in  their  structure,  often  to  an  extent  that  has  ob 
literated  every  trace  of  organic  remains ;  while  in  other  cases,  where 
the  fossiliferous  group  has  been  protected  from  the  more  direct  influence 
of  the  later  igneous  series  by  the  intervention  of  any  of  the  primitive 

**  The  lacustrine  deposits  discovered  during  the  past  summer  by  Mr.  "W.  P.  Blake,  on  the 
desesrt  of  the  Colorado  are  the  first  fresh-water  formations  found  in  this  country. 


36  [APPENDIX 

formation,  the  fossils  remain  very  entire  and  no  change  in  structure  is 
observable,  except  where  the  trachitic  masses  have  broken  through  both. 

Among  the  hills  south  of  Monterey,  other  evidences  of  recent  eleva 
tion  from  the  intrusion  of  recent  igneous  rocks  are  found ;  and  these 
occur  among  that  group  of  sedimentary  formations  which  have  been 
denominated  as  the  post ' Pliocene ;  (see  Table,)  these  are  found  on  the 
Carmello  Creek,  three  miles  above  Meadow's  Ranch,  where  the  fine 
grained  sandstone,  containing  impressions  of  existing  Crustacea  are  found 
resting  upon  the  granite,  but  tilted  from  their  former  horizontal  position 
by  intrusion  of  recent  trap  rocks  from  beneath.  This  same  feature  is 
noticeable  north  of  Montere}^,  and  into  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains,  where 
the  marine  formations  of  the  Pliocene  period  are  found  elevated  to  dif 
ferent  heights  above  the  sea,  for  miles  interior  from  the  present  coast 
line.  With  these  facts  before  us,  it  will  be  impossible  to  arrive  at  any 
other  conclusion  than  that  the  volcanic  series  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking,  has  been  continued  into  a  period  comparatively  recent,  arid 
was  the  active  agent  in  producing  those  disturbances  so  manifest  through- 
throughout  those  portions  of  these  mountains  under  our  consideration. 

An  interesting  feature  in  the  geology  of  the  eastern  part  of  the 
Monte  Diablo  range  has  been  developed  during  the  past  season,  by  the 
officers  of  the  United  States  Land  Survey,  which  is  worthy  of  note,  as 
illustrating  the  mutations  which  have  been  going  on  in  different  parts  of 
the  country,  and  has  served  also  to  fix  the  age  of  districts  hundreds  of 
miles  remote  from  each  other ;  the  marine  shells  brought  into  the  Sur 
vey  office  by  Mr.  Yon  Schmidtz,  f.-orn  the  hills  bordering  the  west  side 
of  the  Tulare  Lake  are  fpund  to  be  indentical  with  those  obtained  from 
the  Buttes  on  the  Sacramento  Valley ;  among  the  fossils  are  found  the 
Area,  of  which  there  are  three  species,  with  two  species  of  Cardium, 
differing  from  any  found  in  our  waters  at  the  present  time. 

The  surveys  of  the  United  States  Bail  Road  Exploring  Expedition, 
under  command  -of  Lieutenant  Stoneman  and  Williamson,  on  the  desert 
of  the  Colorado  has  been  the  means  of  eliciting  much  valuable  informa 
tion  of  that  almost  unknown  and  desert  waste.  The  personal  and  atten 
tive  examinations  of  Mr.  W.  P.  Blake,  geologist  of  the  exploring  party 
has  opened  a  new  field  for  investigation  in  addition  to  those  already- 
existing  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  The  old  water  line  of  the  Gulf  of 
California  has  been  traced  with  unerring  certainty  for  a  long  distance 
into  the  interior,  and  the  fossil  remains  of  marine  animals  and  shells  are 
found  promiscuously  mingled  with  those  of  fresh-water  origin,  which 
subsequently  occupied  the  place  where  the  waters  of  the  Pacinc  formerly 
held  undisputed  sway.  The  discovery  and  demonstrations  of  those  in 
teresting  changes  in  the  elevation  of  the  interior  of  this  part  of  the 
State  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  with  its  recession  from  natural 
causes,  reflects  much  credit  on  the  discrimination,  and  careful  judg 
ment  of  Mr.  Blake,  and  must  be  regarded  as  a  great  acquisition  to 
our  very  limited  stock  of  knowledge  respecting  the  absolute  condi 
tion  of  that  extensive  portion  of  the  interior.  Among  all  those  who 
have  preceded  him  in  crossing  this  "Jornada"  at  different  points, 
not  a  word  of  information  has  been  elicited  from  which  not  even  a  pro 
bability  of  its  true  condition  could  be  gleaned ;  until  the  present  time  it 
was*  a  blank  in  the  geological  history  of  this  part  qf  our  continent ;  how 


Doc.  No.  9.J  37 

far  beyond  the  line  of  travel  to  the  east,  of  where  this  expedition  left  it, 
it  may  extend,  is  equally  as  uncertain  as  was  that  portion  of  the  ancient 
sea-beach,  and  bottom,  over  which  the  United  States  exploring  party 
traveled  the  past  season.  The  facts  which  have  been  gleaned  from  this 
interesting  region  will  appear  in  the  forthcoming  report  of  the  expedi 
tion,  and  from  what  little  is  now  known  of  their  operations,  the  parties 
in  charge  of  its  several  departments  have  manifested  a  determination  of 
purpose  and  assiduity  in  collating  reliable  testimony  of  this  hitherto  un 
explored  and  unknown  waste. 

Our  present  information  of  this  remote  section  of  the  State,  exhibits 
in  a  still  stronger  light,  the  mutations  to  which  the  surface  of  the  coun 
try  has  been  subjected,  and  which  are  probably  persistent  at  the  present 
time  ;  to  what  period  the  changes  of  this  district  are  particularly  refera 
ble  will  not  be  known  probably  until  the  following  year,  but  enough  has 
already  been  developed  which  leads  to  the  inference  that  the  sea  has 
receded  since  the  commencement  of  the  tertiary  era. 


VOLCANIC  EOCKS  PRECEDING-  THE  TERTIARY 

On  a  preceding  page  it  was  observed  that  a  suite  of  rocks  which  are 
often  confounded  with  the  recent  volcanic  group,  existed  in  the  Coast 
Mountains,  these  rocks  and  their  peculiar  position  will  be  noticed  at  the 
present  time. 

Following  the  west  side  of  the  Valley  of  Santa  Clara,  from  the  arroya 
Francisquito  in  a  southerly  direction,  a  range  of  low  hills,  generally 
barren  in  their  appearance,  is  found,  which  protrude  themselves  into  the 
valley  nearly  at  right  angles  to  its  course.  The  range  of  hills  were  ex 
amined  for  the  distance  of  forty  miles,  and  in  no  instance,  I  believe,  was 
there  a  trace  of  any  one  of  the  sedimentary  formations  to  be  found  upon 
them.  In  this  particular  they  differ  much  from  the  other  volcanic  series,, 
either  north  or  south  of  them,  with  the  exception  of  those  of  the  Santa 
Anna  range. 

Their  naked  and  rugged  aspect  on  the  west  side  '  of  these  hills  with 
their  peculiar  local  position  leaves  but  little  room  for  doubt,  but  that 
they  are  the  remains  of  the  summit  of  ancient  craters,  elevated  above 
the  surface  of  the  then  existing  sea,  prior  to  the  deposition  of  the  ma 
rine  formations  which  occur  in  other  parts  of  the  mountain  range. 

This  suite  of  rocks  have  evidently  found  their  way  to  the  surface 
through  the  primitive  rocks  of  this  district,  as  it  is  found  that  they  cut 
the  latter  in  several  places  in  the  form  of  dikes,  while  the  debris  of  both 
are  found  to  enter  largely  into  the  components  of  the  valley  in  which 
they  are  situated.  Another  evidence,  which  lends  confirmation  to  this 
belief,  is  the  fact,  that  had  the  emergence  occurred  at  any  time  subse 
quent  to  the  tertiary  era,  we  should  have  seen  some  traces  of  such  a  fact 
in  the  elevation  of  those  rocks  of  aqueous  origin.  The  gradiency  of  the 
entire  northern  portion  of  the  valley  Santa  Clara  will  also  be  found  in 
commensurate  with  such  an  extensive  series  of  disturbance  as  must  have 
occurred  at  the  period  when  these  hills  were  elevated  above  the  surface. 
The  narrow  limits  within  which  thev  are  situated,  would  have  -  received 
an  inclination  much  greater  than  that  which  the  surface  now  presents, 


38  [APPENDIX 

had  their  intrusion  corresponded  with  those  of  a  similar  character  found 
among  the  sedimentary  rocks  on  every  side  of  them.  Our  evidence  that 
these  rocks  hold  an  age  anterior  to  the  tertian es,  rests  in  part  on  this 
fact ;  that  if  the  change  of  position,  Avhich  the  latter  rocks  have  suffered 
in  adjoining  districts  bear  any  testimony  of  the  maximum  of  .disturbance 
among  them,  we  should  find  some  corresponding  changes  of  similar  cha 
racter  had  this  volcanic  group  been  of  the  same  age. 

In  all  other  parts  of  the  coast  mountains,  wherever  volcanic  rocks 
occur,  in  masses  or  dikes,  cutting  either  sedimentary  or  primitive  groups, 
the  evidences  of  uplift  are  conspicuous,  and  either  a  high  uniform  grade, 
distinct  undulations,  or  a  terraced  form  of  the  valley  sections,  mark  the 
extent  and  character  of  the  forces  exerted  over  such  areas ;  while  in  the 
case  before  us,  we  find  the  valley  adjoining  these  igneous  outbursts  main- 
taininglts  level  to  the  very  base  of  these  volcanic  hills.  Were  there 
any  differences  observable  in  the  inclination  of  the  surface  of  the  plain, 
taken  from  its  northern  to  its  extreme  southern  point,  there  would  be 
some  reason  to  suppose  that  the  group  under  consideration  was  more 
recent  than  the  tertiary  era. 

Passing  to  the  west  of  these  hills,  we  find  the  same  undisturbed  con 
dition  of  the  surface,  extending  to  the  base  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  and  you 
meet  with  nothing  that  would  in  the  least  indicate  any  subsequent  alte 
ration  in  the  general  level  until  you  reach  their  eastern  base  ;  and  here, 
for  the  first  time,  a  narrow  terrace  is  found,  its  face  rising  rather  abruptly 
for  tw elve  feet,  and  then  very  gradually  for  eight  feet  more,  being  nearly 
level  from  thence  to  the  mountains,  a  distance  of  one-fourth  of  a  mile.  So 
little  disturbance  is  manifest  in  the  half  formed  conglomerate,  of  which 
it  is  formed,  that  it  must  be  looked  upon  as  having  been  gradually  ele 
vated  by  forces  that  have  acted  equally,  and  at  the  same  time,  on  both 
the  older  igneous,  and  recent  formations  of  this  section,  and  the  forces 
that  thus  gradually  operated  in  producing  these  phenomena  are  unques 
tionably  persistent  at  the  present  time. 


MOST  RECENT  VOLCANIC  ROCKS  OF  THE  COAST 
MOUNTAINS. 

•  Under  this  head,  a  brief  description  of  a  class  of  rocks  differing  essen 
tially  in  relative  position,  lithological  character,  and  general  effects  on 
the  surrounding  country  in  which  they  are  situated,  from  those  noticed 
in  the  preceding  chapter,  will  be  given.  The  section  of  the  country 
though  which  they  may  be  observed,  has  been  stated  to  extend  through 
about  forty  miles  in  length  of  the  Monte  Diablo  Range,  and  make  their 
appearance  in  the  Santa  Anna  Pi  caches,  on  the  south-east  border  of  the 
Santa  Clara  valley. 

In  examining  this  group  it  was  found,  that  they  consisted  principally 
of  compact  and  vessicular  lavas,  having  different  degrees  of  firmness 
and  texture. 

A  conspicuous  and  striking  feature  of  these  rocks  is  found  in  their 
connection  with  other  formations,  both  igneous  and  sedimentary,  and  in 
the  case  of  the  latter  class  they  are  seen  to  have  acted  directly  upon 
them,  elevating  the  same  to  different  altitudes  above  the  sea  level  The 


Doc.  No.  9.]  39 

former  rocks  form  the  principal  ridge,  separating  the  Pass  of  Pachco  from 
that  of  Santa  Anna  Pass,  (or  Canada  Las  Muertas),  and  present  a  very 
rugged  and  conical  outline  at  a  short  distance.  They  were  probably 
the  grand  centre  of  those  recent  volcanic  disturbances  that  were  in  action 
during  the  elevation  of  this  part  of  that  mountain  range.  The  higher 
peaks  are  composed  of  trachytic  masses,  while  the  lower  hills  contain 
immense  quantities  of  the  vesicular  lavas  above  noted  ;  from  the  position 
which  the  latter  occupy  to  the  former,  it  appears  that  during  the  later 
periods,  when  these  fires  were  in  action,  fissures  had  been  formed  in  the 
sides  of  the  two  principal  craters,  through  which  has  flowed  large  quan 
tities  of  the  fluid  masses :  one  of  these  dikes  cannot  be  less  than  eight 
miles  in  length  and  Ian  in  a  northerly  direction. 

At  the  Santa  Annei  peaks,  the  principal  crater  has,  apparently,  fallen 
in  during  some  period  of  its  eruption,  and  subsequent  to  this,  a  large 
fissure  has  been  fornjed,  probably  from  the  effects  of  an  eaartnquake, 
and,  perhaps,  at  the  time  when  the  north  side  of  the  Grabilan  was  pre 
cipitated  into  the  de$p  ravine  at  its  base. 

North  of  the  latter  mountains  at  the  distance  of  eight  or  nine  miles, 
is  the  elevated  peak  known  as  "  Pacheco  Peak,"  which  is  a  true  volcanic 
cone,  and  in  the  rayines  to  the  north  of  this  crater,  the  Indians  of  this 
section  of  the  countiy  obtain  absidian  for  the  manufacture  of  their  ar 
row  heads ;  to  the  north-east  of  the  mountain  a  large  dike  of  lava,  similar 
to  that  noticed  above  is  found,  which  appears  to  have  flowed  through 
a  fissure  very  nearly;  down  to  the  base. 

South  of  the  Sarita  Anna,  the  tertiary  sandstones  of  recent  date  ap 
pear,  resting  directly  on  this  class  of  volcanic  rocks,  and  bear  every 
evidence  of  having  suffered  their  principal  disturbance  from  these 
agencies  ;  the  almost  complete  metamorphosis  of  the  sedimentary  group 
is  a  proof  of  this ;  and  the  evidences  of  comparative  recent  action  is 
found  in  the  fact,  tljat  the  organic  remains  found  imbedded  in  these 
rocks  contain  a  large  per  centage  of  present  existing  species  on  the 
coast. 


It  will  be  apparen 
in  the  preceding  cb 
ifest,  from  the  fact  t 
rocks  have  been  disl 
the  former  group  o: 
observable.     The  vc 
and  the  trapean  ch 
would  place  each  in 
group  have  every  i 
trapean  rocks  "  foui 
could  not  have  held 
Eocene,  as  they  are 
that  period. 
The  tertiary  grou 
pliocene,  and  post- 
absent  as  far  as  yet 
do  not  extend  on  th 
Santa  Cruz,  and  tha 
This  fact  then  once 

;  that  a  difference  in  the  age  of  that  group  found 
pter,  and  the  one  under  consideration  will  be  man- 
at  in  the  present  case  the  most  recent  of  the  aqueous 
arbed  and  elevated  since  their  formation,  while  in 
igneous  origin,   no  features  of  this  character  are 
sicular  character  of  the  group  under  consideration 
iracter  of  the  others,  is  also  a  distinctive  point  that 
a  different  period  as  regards  their  age  ;  the  older 
Dpearance  of  what  has  been  termed  the  "primitive 
d  in  some  parts  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  which 
an  age  but  little  posterior  to  the  older  rocks  of  the 
found  not  to  have  disturbed  the  middle  group  of 

>s  of  the  Coast  Mountains  consist  of  the  miocene, 
lioctene  periods;    the  eocene  rocks  being  entirely 
xamined  ;   it  is  also  found  that  the  miocene  rocks 
coast  line  beyond  a  point  sixteen  miles  north  of 
south  of  this  point  the  pliocene  series  predominate, 
established  affords  a  clue  by  which  we  are  able  to 

40  [APPENDIX 

determine  to  a  certain  extent  the  age  of  the  volcanic  series  which  has 
disturbed  them,  and  fixes  that  age  posterior  to  the  formation  of  the  latest 
of  the  groups. 

CHANGES  OF  LEVEL  AND  KIYEK  TEERACES. 

The  valley  sections  of  this  State  present  a  general  uniformity  of  char 
acter  in  their  superficial  structure,  wherever  found ;  their  surfaces  are 
distinctly  marked  by  a  regular  series  of  minor  elevations,  which  give 
them  the  terraced  form  so  peculiar  to  those  sections.  The  face  of  these 
terraces'are  of  different  heights,  and  the  surface  of  each  is  found  to  have 
a  gent|e  inclination  toward  the  streams  that  flow  through  them.  In  some 
parts  of  the  "  great  valley  "  there  are  to  be  seen  a  range  of  hills  having 
flat  summits,  which  on  examination  are  proved  to  have  been  the  shores 
of  an  inland  sea;  these  usually  arise  from  the  higher  portions  of  the 
upper  terraces,  and  where  they  are  found  near  the  borders  of  the  plain, 
they  present  often  trifling  evidences  of  excessive  subterranean  action. 
These  "tables"  when  found  on  the  immediate  borders  of  the  plains,  do 
not  appear  to  have  participated  in  the  more  violent  disturbing  forces 
found  in  the  interior ;  they  are  usually  from  four  to  five  hundred  feet  in 
height,  while  those  farther  to  the  east  attain  an  altitude  frequently  of 
more  than  two  thousand. 

Immediately  succeeding  these,  the  first  terraces  of  the  valleys  appear, 
and  from  the  observations  of  different  travelers,  we  learn  that  they  are 
continuous  into  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  and  probably  beyond  that 
point ;  while  south  of  California  their  existence  is  known  to  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  Province  of  Sinaloa  in  the  Republic  of  Mexico.  In 
these  we  see  the  evidences  of  gradual  and  probably  persistent  elevation 
over  an  extent  of  country  nearly  two  thousand  mibs  in  length,  and  in 
the  present  state  of  our  knowledge,  must  be  regarded  as  part  of  one  of 
those  great  continental  elevations  that  has  occurred  during  the  compara 
tively  "recent  history  of  the  world.  This  State  is  situated  nearly  in  the 
centre  of  this  line,  and  from  its  position  must  partake  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent  in  all  the  general  changes  of  level  that  nay  occur  on  either 
side  of  it;  and  all -observations  which  have  been  made  within  the  last 
ten  years  have  only  tended  to  confirm  this  fact. 

Mr.  Dana  who  has  given  more  attention  to  the  foimations  of  the  valley 
sections  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  who  probably  hac  better  opportunities 
for  observation  from  San.  Francisco  to  the  north,  in  speaking  of  them, 
says :  "  We  traced  these  terraces  from  the  Cowlitzto  the  mouth  of  the 
Sacramento,  along  many  of  the  smaller  streams  as  well  as  the  rivers. 
There  appears  to  be  but  two  ways  of  accounting  for  these  terraces,  either 
lakes  have  existed  along  the  rivers%  which  have  birst  their  barriers,  or 
the  rivers  have  excavated  the  country  in  conseqrance  of  an  elevation. 
The  existence  of  lakes  throughout  a  whole  courtry,  connected  with 
all  its  rivers,  is  highly  improbable,  and  required  for  its  proof  the  strong 
est  evidence.  Rivers  cut  out  their  channels  by  a  gradual  process,  as  a 
country  is  raised  above  the  ocean,  forming  with  few  exception  a  complete 
drainage  for  the  land.  Lakes  could  not  exist,  therefore,  to  the  universal 


Doc.  No.  0.}  41 

9 

extent  implied  by  the  facts,  except,  perhaps,  as  a  sudden  rise  of  the  land 
from  the  ocean. 

"  The  formation  of  such  lakes  by  an  abrupt  elevation  in  a  region  hav 
ing  the  ranges  of  heights  parallel  with  the  coast,  is  certainly  a  possibility. 
But  the  water  to  .make  •  the  alluvial  accumulations,  must  be  running- 
water,  and  be  in  operation  in  its  channels  a  long  period.  And  how  long 
would,  such  lakes  exist  after  an  elevation?  If  the  violence  attending  a 
change  of  level  did  not  open  for  them  at  once  a  passage,  the  accumula-: 
tionof  water  during  a  single  flood  would  break  a  passage  through  such 
soft  sandstone  beds  as  occur  at  the  mouth  .-of  the  Sacramento." 

These  terraces  occur  on  the  Sacramento  to  the  distance  of  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  sea  and  at  this  point  they  wer^e^as  high 
above  the  level  of  t1Ke  river  as  at  any  point  lower  dow^i,  and  have 
nearly  the  same  elevation  in  all  parts  examined  above  the  'existing  level 
of  the  stream. 

The  flats  are  several  miles  in  width,  and  until  reaching  Carquinez 
Straits,  no  other  place  for  a  barrier  could  have  existed.  In  this  place  a 
permanent  barrier  of  at  least  four  hundred  feet  in  height  would  have 
been  required,  to  set  the  water  back  so  as  to  cover  the  upper  terrace 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  in  the 
second  place,  the  lake  should  have  a  surface  slope  like  the  present  bed 
of  the  river,  for  this  is  the  fact  with  the  land  of  the  terrace — of  course 
an  impossibility.  Wherever  the  bed  of  the  stream  was  four  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  there  the  terrace  should  disappear ;  in 
place  of  which  they  attain  an  altitude  of  seven  hundred  feet  at  the  dis 
tance  of  two  hundred  and  twelve  miles  from  the  head  of  Suisun  Bay.* 

It  is  therefore  impossible  that  one  or  many  lakes  should  accomplish 
the  results  we  have  before  us ;  it  is  the  proper  effect  of  river  floods,  and 
the  terraces  must  be  received  as  indicating  a  change  of  level  in  the 
country. 

Was  this  change  of  level  an  abrupt  one,  or  was  it  slow  and  gradual? 
This  seems  at  first,  a  question  easily  answered.  We  may  best  under 
stand  it  by  considering  the  changes  that  would  take  place  during  the 
elevation  of  a  region  of  alluvial  flats.  If  a  country  rise  abruptly,  the 
river  will  commence  to  work  itself  to  a  lower  level,  and  proceed  with 
rapidity,  ending  finally  the  very  gradual  slope  of  ordinary  rivers,  hav 
ing  a  descent  of  one  or  two  feet  per  mile.  At  the  same  time,  in  the 
season  of  floods  the  river  would  wear  into  the  former  alluvium  (now  its 
banks)  and  widen  its  surface ;  and  this  widening  would  go  on  at  each 
succeeding  freshet  till  the  river  had  a  new  lower  plain  on  its  borders. 

But  Avould  not  the  effect  be  the  same  during  a  gradual  rise.  As  the 
country  rose  slowly,  the  excavation  of  the  livers  bed,  and  latteral  widen 
ing  during  freshets  would  go  on  gradually  with  the  same  results,  pro 
ducing  a  deeper  bed  and  a  new  lower  flat,  both  of  which  would  change 
as  the  change  of  level  progressed,  and  in  case  the  lower  flat  resisted 
removal  in  any  part,  the  portion  left  standing  would  form  a  subordinate 

*  I  have  in  my  possession  at  this  time,  specimens  from  this  highest  terrace,  which  is  found 
on  Weaver  Creek,  Trinity  County.  They  were  taken  from  different  depths  of  a  shaft  which 
has  been  sunk  through  the  alluvial  deposit  eight  hundred  feet ;  the  different  strata  found  though 
are  composed  of  clay,  gravel  and  sand,  in  nearly  all  of  which,  gold  has  been  found  through 
out. 

6 


42  [APPENDIX 

**  **  t  A  %^tf&       t      '  v  < 

terrace  between  the  upper  level,  or  that  of  the  plain  before  the  rise 
$l%an. 

A  terrace  slope  may  thus  be  formed  by  a  gradual  elevation,  and  also 
without  any  intermission  in  the  process,  there  might  be  intermediate  ter 
races  in  some  parts  of,  the  same  region.  A  river  terrace  then,  in  an 
alluvial  district  cannot  be  considered  an  evidence  of  abrupt  elevation  of 
country  in  which  it  is  found,  the  more  especially  if  a  uniform  slope  is 
found  upon  its  surface. 

The  district  south  of  San  Francisco  in  which  extensive  valleys  are  to 
be  found  comport  themselves  in  all  general  features  with  those  found  on 
the  Sacramento  and  thence  into  Oregon.  On  the  .south  part  of  the  San 
ta  Clara  Valley,  beyond  the  ranch  of  Cruz  Cervantes,  the  terraced'  form 
of  the. valley  is  clear  and  distinct;  in  this  place  there  were  but  two  of 
these  flats  observable — that  through  which  the-rSan  Benito  flowed,  had 
a  rise  of  nine  feet  above  the  level  of  the  creek,  while  the  higher  terrace 
to  the  east  rose  very  abruptly  eighty -five  feet  above  the  former.  The 
surface  level  had  an  inclination  of  twelve  degrees  vfrom  the  base  of  the 
Santa  Anna  Mountains  towa/ds  the  west ;  the  river  flowed  upon  the 
western  side  of  the  valley  entirely. 

tTwo  successive  terraces  were  foimd  on  the  Pajaro,  the  upper  one  still 
retains  the  marks  of  tide  water  upon  its  surface. 

The  Salinas  Valley  exhibits  the  terraced  form  in  a  marked  degree, 
and  its  inclination  of  surface  from  the  east  toward  the  west  corresponds 
very  closely  with  that  just  noticed  as  occurring  on  the  south  part  of  the 
Santa  Clara  and  San  Juan.  The  number  of  terraces  on  this  valley  are 
three,  and  have  a  varying  width  of  three  to  five  miles,  the  slope  of  each 
surface  is  gentle  and  smooth'  throughout  the  entire  length  of  the  plain. 
It  differs  from  the  Sacramento  or  San  Joaquin  in  having  but  one' line  of 
-inclination  or  dip,  the  others  "nave  a  dip  from  each  border  toward;  their 
centre,  thus  giving  them  their  basin-shaped  structure.  The  slope  of  the 
Salinas  appears  to  have  been  acquired  from  the  recent  volcanic  agency 
that  formed  the  Santa  Anna  Mountains,  and  those  to  the  north  as  far  as 
Pacheco's  Peak ;  on  examination  it  is  found  that  the  dip  of  all  the  sedi 
mentary  or  stratified  rocks  of  this  part  of  the  country  correspond  in 
direction,  and  that  the  dip  decreases  as  the  distance  from  that  centre  in 
creases.  The  Post  Pliocene  rocks  of  the  Carmello  were  disturbed  at 
this  time,  and  the  entire  range  of  sedimentary  rocks  of  recent  date, 
throughout  the  Coast  Mountains  in  this  section  of  the  country  have  suf 
fered  in  a  similar  manner,  and  undoubtedly  from  the  same  cause.  • 

From  the  peculiar  features  manifested  in  the  formation  composing  the 
Coast  Mountains,  as  noted  in  the  preceding  pages,  and  the  more  recent 
causes  of  disturbance  whicti  have  acted  in  this  part  of  the  range,  as  is 
found  in  the  modifications  of  level  extending  through  the  valleys  above 
noted,  and  the  intervening  mountains  between  these  valleys  ;  it  will  ap 
pear  very  doubtful  that  any  formation  containing  mineral  coal  will  be 
found.  The  forces  that  have  acted  on  this  part  of  the  county  and  have 
elevated  the  different  rocks  found  on  the  mountain  sides,  have  as  yet 
developed  no  member  of  the  secondary  series,  in  which  the  coal  forma 
tions  are  found  ;  but  like  the  mountains  to  the  north,  both  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada  and  Coast  Mountains,  nothing  above  the  primitive  is  to  be  seen, 


Doc.  No.  9.]  43 

except  the  tertiaries,  in  which  no  coal  beds  of  extent  have  yet  been 
discovered. 

From  a  careful  examination  of  this  part  of  the  country,  with  this 
object  in  view,  I  feel  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  coal  will  riot  be  found 
in  any  part  of  the  Coast  Mountains  south  of  the  thirty-fifth  parallel 
of  north  latitude ;  what  there  may  be  south  of  this  point,  I  know  nothing 
having  never  visited  it. 

It  is  not  unfrequeiit  in  passing  over  the  country  to  hear  of  beds  of  min 
eral  coal ;  during  the  past  season  I  have  visited  four  such  localities,  and, 
as  was  anticipated,  each  of  them  proved  to  be  merely  small  beds  of  lig 
nite,  and  two  of  them  hardly  deserving  that  name.  One  of  these  deposits 
proved  to  be  but  a  bed  of  leaves,  having  a  thickness  of  about  three 
inches|>resting  upon  a  tertiary  sandstone  containing  marine  shells,  and 
covered  with  twelve  feet  of  a  sandy  alluvium.  This  is 'one  of  those  coal 
beds  which  has  figured  so  largely  in  the  public  prints  of  the  State  during 
the  past  year,  and  has  induced  several  gentlemen  to  pay  the  locality  a 
visit,  and  to  return  as  deeply  disappointed  as  their  previous  anticipations 
were  elevated. 

The  report  of  coal  veins  in  the  Coast  Mountains  must  be  received  with 
many  grains  of  allowance,  and  at  the  best,  none  but  tertiary  deposits 
will  be  found,  and  these,  even  should  they  exist,  would  be  capable  of 
supplying  but  a  limited  demand,  and  that  usually  of  an  inferior  quality. 


SOILS  OF  THE  VALLEY  SANTA  CLARA  AND   SHORES  OF 
THE  BAY  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

The  character  of  mountains  on  the  borders  of  valleys,  afford  a  good 
criterion  to  judge  of  the  capabilities  of  the  soils  found  at  their  base.  It 
is  therefore  not  difficult  to  form  a  correct  opinion  of  the  constituents  of 
a  soil,  once  knowing  the  nature  of  the  rocks  in  adjoining  sections,  and 
consequently  their  adaptation  to  the  various  purposes  of  agriculture. 

The  more  rapid  disintegration  of  some  classes  of  rocks  compared  to 
others,  will  form  a  striking  feature  in  the  productiveness  of  the  soil  with 
which  they  enter  as  a  component  part,  their  chemical  constituents,  adapt 
ing  them  to  agricultural  employment,  or  rendering  them  totally  unfit  for 
these  purposes,  without  the  addition  of  some  agent  not  found  as  an  inte 
gral  of  their  composition.  It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  in  passing 
over  a  range  of  valley,  or  mountainous  district,  to  find  so  many  and 
diversified  features  presenting  themselves  often  in  adjoining  localities; 
it  is  not  unfrequent  to  find  a  perfect  transition  in  the  indigenous  pro 
ductions  of  the  soil,  occurring  in  the  distance  of  a  few  hundred  yards. 

These  peculiar  features  are  best  exhibited  among  the  native  grains  and 
grasses,  and  occur  alike,  on  the  valley  bottoms  or  on  ascending  a  hill 
side.  Thus,  on  ascending  a  hill,  at  whose  base  may  be  found  a  calcare 
ous  rock,  resting  on  any  one  of  the  plutonic  series,  the  native  product 
at  the  base,  and  within  the  direct  range  of  the  limestone,  may  be  the 
wild  oat,  almost  as  soon  as  these  rocks  are  passed,  and  you  enter  the 
granite  or  trapean  group,  the  cereal  ceases  to  grow,  and  is  replaced  by 
the  native  grasses  in  some  of  their  varieties,  or  if  the  rocks  succeeding 


44  [APPENDIX 

the  former,  should  belong  to  the  serpentine  group,  a  useless  shrub  will 
often  be  the  resulting  growth. 

Equally  as  perfect  and  marked  are  the  phases  presented  on  the  valley 
bottoms  alone;  passing  through,  the  same  transitions  as  above,  and  on 
an  examination  of  the  sources  from  "which  the  soil  has  been  derived,  it 
will  be  found  that  the  mineral  constituents  of  both  sections  presenting 
those  changes',  will  differ  in  a  material  degree.  Take  the  upper  terrace 
-  of  any  one  of.  our  large  valleys,  and  by  following  this  to  a  lower  terrace, 
the  first  principal  change  occurring  will  be  found  near  the  junction  of 
the  former,  with  the  latter,  and  this  as  it  recedes  from  the' former,  will 
be  found  productive  of  a  widely  different  and  greater  variety  of  plants 
than  the  hill-side  or  upper  terrace  preceding  it,  and  the  native  nroduc- 
tions  of  these,  not  unfrequently  disappear  entirely.  ** 

Another  feature  equally  interesting  and  instructive,  is  found  iri  transi 
tions  of  the  varieties  of  production  on- the  same  line  of  valjey,  which 
has  derived  its  soils  from  the  same  suite  of  rocks,  this  might  easily  be 
mistaken  for  a  change  in  the  mineral  constituents  of  such  sbil,  which  is 
not  the  case,  but  the  modification  of  growths  in  this  instance  a£e  attribu 
table  to  the  more  uniform  and  equal  distribution  and  communication  of 
the  material  composing  the  soil,  thus  rendering  its  chemical  constituents 
better  adapted  to  assimilation,  and  the  consequent  production  of  variety 
as  well  as  quality  and  quantity. 

The  soils  on  the  Bay  San  Francisco  differ  much  on  its  eastern  and 
western  sides  ;  both  borders  of  the  Bay  present  the  tertiary  series,  but 
both  do  not  present  the  trapean  rocks  to  the  same  degree  of  develop 
ment  ;  this,  then,  of  course,  will  cause  a  distinctive  and  marked  differ 
ence  in  the  productive  capabilities  of  either  shore.  It  will  be  found 
that  in  all  the  soils  which  have  been  .derived,  in  whole,  or  in  part,  from 
rocks  more  recent  than  the  tertiary  group,  that  a  more  extensive  and  va 
ried  adaptation  to  agricultural  purposes  will  be  present  ;  this  will  be 
particularly  manifest  in  those  sections  where  the  tertiaries,  containing 
organic  remains,  enter  somewhat  largely  into  the -components  of  "the  soil 
produced  from  such  sources. 

We  often  meet  an  extensive  and  even  tract  of  country  lying  atothe 
base  of  a  range  of  hills  of  the  character  named  above,  which  "are  found 
not  to  possess  so  high  a  degree  of  fertility  as  an  adjoining  section,  yet 
both  have  derived  their  soil  from  the  same  sources  ;  it  becomes  not  only 
interesting  but  important  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  such  a  discrepancy, 
and  an  attentive  examination  will  often  point  out  a  natural  obstruction 
of  a  mechanical  nature  wjhich  has  thus  been  the  cause  of  the  impover 
ishment  which  may  be  present.  In  this  case  a  barrier  will  often  be 
found  among  the  foothills  which  has  prevented  the  uniform  distribution 
of  the '  disintegrated  rocks  above,  rendering  the  plain  within  its  line  less 
productive,  rather  than  the  introduction  of  any  new  agent,  except,  per 
haps,  that  derived  from  the  rocks  forming  that  barrier,  the  amount  of 
which  would  be  inconsiderable,  compared  to  the  mass  of  alluvium  beyond. 

In  illustration  of  this  a  single  case  only  will  be  mentioned.  On  the 
Valley-  Santa  Clara  a  few  miles  east  of  San  Jose,  the  mountains  are  cap 
ped  with  fossiliferous  sandstone  for  miles  in  extent,  north  and  south. — 
On  examining  the  slopes  of  these  hills  and  the  broad  ravines  among 
them,  a  rich  and  deep  soil  wafc  found  to  cover  the  whole,  and  the  ve'ge- 


Doc.  No.  9.]  45 

tation  growing  upon  them,  bore  a  just  relation  to  the  character  of  the 
ground  on  which  they  flourished.  Passing  to  the  westward  toward  the 
valley  it  was  found  that  the  same  character  of  soil  continued  to  the  first 
hills  rising  from  the  plain,  these  bearing  an  altitude  of  one  hundred  feet 
above  its  level.  On  reaching  the  summit  of  these  hills,  the  rich,  mellow 
soil  to  the  east  instantly  gave  out,  and  in  its  place  a  heavy,  clayey  cov 
ering  was  found  upon  the  surface  for  a  considerable  distance  into  the 
valley  ;  this  transition  occurred  within  so  short  a  distance  that  I  was  led 
to  examine  more  particularly  the  cause  producing  it,  and  accordingly 
followed  the  line  of  these  hills  until  an  outcrop  of  these  rocks  were 
found.  ;  they  consisted  of  aluminous  and  chlontic  slates,  having  a  high 
inclination  and  dipping  to  the  west  ;  from  their  position  they  presented 
a  perfect  barrier  to  the  passage  of  the  richer  soil  of  the  hills  passing  on 
to  the  valley  in  any  other  junction  than  north  and  south.  As  far  as  this  , 
line  of  slates  extended,  the  valley  beyond  partook,  in  a  greater  or  less  de 
gree,  of  the  character  that  would  be  produced  by  their  disintegration, 
and  ill  adapted  generally  to  purposes  of  agriculture  unless  by  artificial 
application  of  reclaiming  agents  and  tillage.  As  soon  as  the  slates  began 
to  disappear  in  the  foothills,  the  character  of  the  soil  on  the  plain  be 
yond  assumed  a  different  appearance,  and  a  marked  and  corresponding 
change  in  its  vegetable  productions. 

A  mechanical  impediment  simply  is  the  cause  of  unproductiveness  in 
such  cases,  and  in  instances  of  this  kind,  the  remedy  usually  abounds  in 
abundant  quantities  and  at  short  distances  from  the  points  where  it  may 
be  required. 

On  the  south-east  shores  of  the  Bay  San  Francisco,  there  are  large 
areas  of  land  that  at  the  present  time  are  considered  useless  for  agricul 
tural  purposes,  from  their  low  position  and  semi-argilaceous  character  ; 
they  have  often  been  denominated  "  mud  flats,"  and  heretofore  have 
been  considered  unadapted  even  to  grazing  for  sheep.  These  flats  gen 
erally  extend  (toward  the  bay)  one  or  two  miles  from  what  are  consid 
ered  available  and  good  agricultural  lands.  Their  general  appearance 
to  the  passer-by  is  such  as  would  not  be  likely  to  impress  a  person  very 
strongly  in  their  favor,  as  lands  retaining  much  fertility,  but  from  their 
superficial  appearance  would  be  regarded  as  a  poor  representation  only 
of  a  salt  meadow,  productive  of  little  else  than  the  common  samphire. 
But  such  is  not  the  fact  and  if  experience  and  experiment  have  any  val 
ue  or  weight,  they  will  be  thrown  in  the  balance  to  the  favor  of  those 
lands  ;  experiments  have  been  made  during  the  past  season  on  these 
sections,  which  cannot  fail  to  convince  us  of  the  fact,  that  the  opinions 
heretofore  entertained  respecting  the  available  character  of  a  large  por 
tion  of  these  districts,  are  entirely  erroneous.  A  single  experiment  illus 
trating  their  capacity  for  production  if  properly  tilled,  will  be  giverj^ 

Near  Uniontown,  in  the  County  of  Alameda,  several  acres  of  land, 
producing  the  samphire  on  their  flats,  was  broken  up  and  planted  to 
corn ;  in  one  case  it  was  sowed  in  drills ;  the  corn  continued  to  flourish 
until  September  which  was  the  last  time  I  saw  it ;  and  at  this  time  the 
stalk  of  that  in  the  drills  had  acquired  an  average  heighth  of  about  nine 
feet.  On  the  south  side  of  the  arroya  Alameda  another  field  was  plant 
ed  in  hills,  which  AY  us  equal,  if  not  superior  in  heighth.  The  soil, 
when  broken  up,  is  rich  and  highly  productive  in  other  grains,  notwith- 


46  [APPENDIX 

standing  the  meagre  appearance  it  presents  prior  to  tillage,  and  will  in 
a  few  yeaTs  be  as  successfully  and  largely  cultivated  as  any  other  of  the 
valley  sections.  The  saline  lands  of  the  interior  sections  are  also  of  the 
same  character,  to  a  certain  extent,  and  if  properly  tilled  are  equally 
productive.  Near '  the  rancho  San  Felipe,  Santa  Clara  County,  a  simi 
lar  circumstance  was  met  with ;  the  corn  grown  upon  these  lands  was 
being  harvested  in  September  and  produced*  a  full  and  well-formed  ear, 
proving  not  only  adaptation  of  soil,  but'  climate' — for  the  production  of 
this  staple  in  California.  The  latter  case,  the  lands  were  225  feet  above 
the  sea>  and  the  field  on  ever}'  side  except  the  south-east  was  covered 
with  a  thick  growth  of  the  salt  grasses  and  other  kindred  plants  (sam 
phire)  and  when  free  from  water  the  lands  were  covered  with  a  saline 
incrustation. 

Under  a  proper  course  of  treatment  these  lands  will  be  made  availa 
ble  for  the  purposes  of  the  agriculturalist,  and  bur  already  large  do 
main  of  arable  lands  thus  much  increased.  The  situation  of  these  lands 
in  the  interior  is  such,  that  they  may  be  easily  reclaimed  should  they 
ever  fall  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State,  which  undoubtedly  they 
will  under  the  law  regulating  "saline  lands."  In  the  counties  of  San 
Francisco,  Santa  Clara  and  Alameda  the  wet  land  that  may  be  made 
available  by  drainage  is  about  seventy  square  miles,  exclusive  of  the 
"  saline  lands  "  at  the  southern  part  of  the  County  of  Santa  Clara. 

Most  of  the  valley  sections  of  this  range  of  country  is  arable  land, 
and  that  which' is  not  can  easily  be  made  so  when  required ;  the  agents 
for  bringing  this  about  being  found  in  the  adjoining  hills  to  the  east.— 
The  character  of  -the  soil  and  climate  adapts  it  to  all  the  productions  of 
temperate  climates,  and  where  local  position  modified  the  climate  of  any 
section,  it  is  found  capable  of  producing  plants  of  the  tropical  latitudes. 

The  extreme  south-eastern  part  of  this  valley  would  be  adapted  to 
the  growth  of  foreign  fruits  and  other  products,  but  it  must  be  beyond 
the  influence  of  the  cold  sea- wind  that  passes  inland  across  the  range  of 
lower  hills  which  divide  the  Salinas,  Pajaro,  and  Santa  Clara  Valleys, 
the  effect  of  which  would  be  to  blight  the  fruit,  though  the  plant  or 
tree  might  continue  to  thrive. 

The  low  hills  that  flank  the  east  side  of  the  valley  contain  all  the  ele 
ments  required  for  the  culture  of  tropical  plants  and  fruits ;  the  climate 
and  soil  will  be  found  adapted,  and  the  only  agent  that  appears  in  the 
least  to  be  wanting  is  water  sufficient  to  supply  the  demands  of  those 
plants.  From  the  appearance  of  small  lagoons  and  rivulets  at  different 
•elevations  it  is  presumable  that  a  sufficient  quantity  of  this  agent  may 
be  found  a  short  distance  below  the  surface. 

As  a  ,geiieral  rule  the  mountains  lying  upon  ,the  east  border  of  the 
vsdey  Santa  Clara  are  covered  with  a  soil  superior  to  that  of  the  plains, 
and  of  much  greater  depth.  I  have  measured  the  depths  of  these  soils 
in  many  places,  and  where  it  is  well  developed  have  found  it  varying 
from  four  to  eleven  feet  for  miles  continuous;  its  extreme  fertility  pro 
duces  heavy  crops  of  the  native  grains  and  grasses  which  annually  con 
tribute  to  its  increase  by  their  decomposition. 

•  Although  these  lands  'are  situated  within  the  reach  of  the  sea-breeze 
from  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  they  are  protected  from  its  cold  by  the 


Doc.  No.  9.]  47 

jj 

slope  of  the  hills  and  the  modifications  of  its  temperature  acquired  in 
its  passage  down  the  bay  before  reaching  the  northern  portion  of  the 
valley.  So  much  is  the  temperature  increased  that  an  addition  of  ten 
degrees  is  often  acquireM  in  its  transit  from  San  .'Francisco  to  .the  head 
of  the  valley,  a 'distance  little  rising  fifty  miles.  This  increase  of  tem 
perature  in  the  air  is  accompanied  with  an  increase  in  its  capacity  for 
moisture,  hence  it  is  usual  to  find  a  slight  aqueous  haze,  which  results 
from  the  condensation  of  its  moisture,  hanging  about  this  entire  range 
of  hills  during  the  summer  months,  and  is  usually  seen  early  in  the 
morning. 

At  this  time  and  for  a  short  time  after  sun-rise  the  leaves  of  plants  in 
these  hills  are  covered  with  moisture,  when  no  trace  of  this  deposit  is 
observable  on  the  plains.  The  foreign  horticulturist  seems  to  •  have 
siezed  upon  the  natural  advantages  which  these  mountains  present  for 
the  culture  of  the  vine  and  other  fruits,  prefering  these  elevated  situa 
tions  to  the  lower  plain  lands,  the  climate  and  soil  being  more  congenial 
to  their  growth.  The  altitude  at  which  the  first  qualities  of  the  grape 
will  flourish  in  these  mountains  (Monte  Diablo  Eange)  is  seventeen  hun 
dred  feet  above  the  sea,  the  fruit  produced  equals  that  grown  in  lower 
situations ;  the  temperature  at  this  elevation  through  the  night  is  higher 
than  on  the  plains  at  their  base  and  sufficiently  comfortable  to  sleep  with 
out  shelter. 

But  a  very  few  years  will  elapse  before  these  "barren"  mountains 
will  yield  a  handsome  income  to  the  planter,  and  a  large  revenue  to  the 
State,  from  the  taxable  property  that  will  be  found  in  these  mountains, 
arising  from  the  prodution  of  the  vine  alone ;  some  idea  of  the  extent 
to  which  it  is  now  being  propagated  may  be  obtained  when  it  is  stated 
that  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  sets  have  been  put  into  the  ground 
during  the  past  year,  and  on  one  ranch  alone  over*  twelve  thousand  new 
sets  were  placed  in  the  grdund  last  season,  in  addition  to  those  already 
in  bearing  condition  on  the  same  farm. 

The  absence  of  timber  in  these  mountains  is  one  of  the  most  serious 
objections  to  the  settler,  if  this  objection  can  be  removed  there  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  but  that  large  tracts  of  this  fertile  district  would  com 
mand  a  population  that  would  soon  approximate  that  on  the  plains.  It 
would  riot  be  difficult  to  produce  a  forest  growth  of  trees  upon  these 
mountains,  one  that  would  prove  useful  as  well  as  ornamental,  conduc 
ing  to  health,  comfort  and  luxury,  as  well  as  profit.  The  history  of  the 
Guava  furnishes  us  with  some  facts  on  this  point  that  are  well  worthy  of 
notice ;  the  trci1  is  of  rapid  growth,  spreading  itself  over  large  districts 
in  a  very  few  years.  In  Mexico  it  attains  a  height  of  forty  feet,  and 
grows  at  elevations  of  five  thousand  feet ;  its  wood  is  used  for  fuel  and 
many  other  purposes,  and  from  its  fruit  the  guava  jelly  is  manufactured, 
and  forms  an  extensive  article  of  commerce. 

Fifty  years  ago  this  tree  was  introduced  at  the  Sandwich  and  Society 
Islands  ;  it  has  in  that  short  period  of  time  formed  one  of  the  principal 
forest  trees  of  those  islands,  and  reaches  the  summit  of  their  highest 
hills.  A  tree  of  this  kind  introduced  into  our  timberless  hill$  would  in 
a  short  time  render  the  barren  aspect  they  now  present,  more  pleasing 
and  profitable  as  well  as  useful.  There  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  this 
tree  will  flourish  in  this  country,  as  it  is  found  so  to  do  in  a  climate 


48  [APPENDIX 

equally  cool  as'  that  in  which  it  would  be  required  here.  Other  varieties 
of  fruit  bearing  trees  Qf  foreign  climates  will  flourish  in  these  mountain; 
among  them  may  b^  mentioned  the  date,  prune  and  fig,  and  in  this 
country  we  possess  an  advantage  in  the  preparation  of  the  two  latter 
fruits  for  the  market,  which  is  seldom  found  even  in  countries  where  they 
flourish  best,  viz :  a  clear,  dry  air,  or  containing  but  a  small  degree  of 
moisture,  a  most  essential  requisite  in  forming  a  -good  commercial  article. 
Often  the  entire  fruit  crop  is  ruined  in  the  drying  process  in  countries 
where  these  fruits  abound,  (and  where  all  conditions  for  their  propaga 
tion  are  not  more  fully  developed  than  in  this  country,)  from  the  pres 
ence'  of  too  great  a  quantity  of  moisture  in  the  air,  a  circumstance  that 
cannot  exist  in  this  country  south  of  the  county  of  San  Francisco. 

We  have  the  most  ample  proofs  of  the  capabilities  of  our  soils  in  the 
interior,  in  the  production  of  the  foreign  fruits.  In  addition  to  the 
above,  the  olive  and  the  almond  flourish  and  produce  plentifully,  and 
though  the  latter  is  not  indigenous,  the  luxuriance  with  which  it  grows 
and  its  plentiful  production  of  fruit,  must  be  received  only  as  another 
evidence  of  the  fact  above  stated.  The  value  of  these  fruits  as  regards 
their  quality,  suifers  no  deterioration  from  having  been  naturalized  to 
our  climate,  but  in  the  case  of  the  latter  named  fruit,  it  is  found  to  be 
materially  benefitted  by  the  change,  for  as  it  loses  none  of  its  flavor  it 
becomes  the  more  valuable  from  its  increase  of  size,  being  nearly  double 
that  of  the  ordinary  fruit  of  the  msarket. 

Respecting  the  main  body*  of  lands  on  the  valley  and  shores  of  the 
bay,  but  very  little  of  which  is  not  adapted  to  agricultural  purposes,  it 
may  be -said  to  cover  an  area  little  short  of  six  hundred  square  miles, 
nearly  all  of  which  is  well  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  cereals  and 
root  crops.  The  higher  table  of  the  valley  produces  excellent  corn,  and 
the  season  though  dry  permits  this  crop  to  mature  well.  I  observed 
several  corn  fields  on  the  high  terrace  of  the  valley  last  season,  flourish 
ing  ,  well  at  altitudes  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  to  four  hundred  and 
ten  feet,  and  in  localities  where  it  would  hardly  be  -supposed  from  its 
external  appearance,  that  moisture  sufficient  to  rear  a  blade  of  grass 
could  be  found.  The  cause  of  this  productivness  in  these  localities,  is 
in  a  great  measure  attributable  to  the  existence  of  a  small  quantity  of 
sulphate  of  lime  in  these  apparently  dry  soils,  derived  from  a  limestone 
formation  in  these  mountains,  and  which  extends  south  beyond  the 
Almaden  district.  The  detritus  of  this  rock  is  found  mingled  with 
fragments  'of  other  rocks  containing  ferruginous  pyrites  in  a  decompos 
ing  state,  hence'the  key  to  its  appearance  in  this  locality,  and  in  the  case 
before  it  serves  the  purpose  of  an  absorbent  of  moisture,  thus  materially 
facilitating  the  growth  of  crops  in  these  sections. 


VALLEY  OF  THE  SALINAS. 

This  valley  is  situated  south  of  the  Pajaro  River,  and  is  separated 
from  the  Santa  Clara  by  a  spur  of  the  'Monte  Diablo  Range  which  sink 
into  a  range  of  low  hills  forming  a  divide  between  the  former  and  the 
Pajaro  Yalley  also.  The  leagth  of  the  Salinas  is  about  ninety-five  miles. 
The  main  course  of  the  valley  is  about  south-east  by  east ;  and  is  coursed 


Doc.  No.  9.  49 

by  one  river  (the  Salinas)  for  its  entire  length.  The  stream  is  situated 
on  the  west  side  of  the  valley  for  the  first  fifty  miles  of  its  course,  after 
which  it  crosses  the  valley  a  short  distance  above  the  Soledad  Mission, 
at  an  angle  of  forty  degrees  to  the  main  axis  of  the  plain.  The  physical 
appearance  of  thislarge  plain  differs  much  from  that  of  the  Santa  Clara 
or  the  Pajaro ;  when  viewed  from  its  centre  it  has  a  gentle  slope  from 
the  east  toward  the  west ;  but  more  minute  examination  exhibits  a  ter 
raced  form  to  the  plain,  similar  to  those  observed  on  the  Sacramento, 
and  are  three  in  number,  and  each  possessing  a  soil  of  different  degrees 
of  fertility  and  value.  The  river  has  a  fall  of  about  two  feet  to  the  mile, 
and  has  acquired  its  present  position  within  a  very  recent  period,  run 
ning  as  it  does  amongst  the  most  recent  tertiary  rocks,  and  alluvium  in 
its  more  northern  portions.  Near  its  sources  there  are  several  small 
streams  putting  into  it,  which  furnish  water  throughout  the  year.  The 
bed  of  the  stream  is  composed  of  a  fine  whitish  quicksand,  which  ren 
ders  it  dangerous  to  ford  at  times,  and  it  is  seldom  attempted,  except  at 
localities  which  are  used  for  this  purposo.  A  large  portion  of  the  valley, 
within  eight  or  ten  miles  of  the  coast,  and  on  its  south-east  border  and 
centre,  is  made  up  of  low  wet  lands,  covered  with  willows  and  tule, 
these  terminate  in  lagoons  and  sloughs  as  they  approach  the  coast,  and 
contain  a  sufficient  depth  df  water  to  float  a  medium  sized  vessel  to  the 
Bay  of  Monterey.  The  only  obstacle  that  renders  these  waters  innavi 
gable  for  some  distance  into  the  interior  of  the  valley,  are  the  bars  of 
drift  sand  which  are  thrown  up  by  the  surf  on  the  coast :  a  good  and 
substantial  breakwater,  constructed  at  some  one  of  these  points,  would 
render  navigation  safe,  and  materially  enhance  the  value  of  the  public 
and  private  property  of  this  section  of  country,  and  be  the  means  of 
affording  not  only  much  needed  facilities  of  transportation  in  the  pro 
ductions  of  the  interior  to  market,  but  afford  inducements  for  the  per 
manent  settlement  of  this  immense  tract  of  country  (now  almost,  it  might 
be  said,  uninhabited  and  unimproved,)  which  this,  or  some  other  equally 
efficient  measure  would  be  the  means  of  consummating  in  a  short  period 
of  time.  The  extent  of  land  in  the  interior  that  would  be  affected  by  a 
measure  of  this  kind  would  be  very  great ;  it  being  not  less  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  possessing  capacities  for  agricul 
tural  production  equal  to  any  in  the  State.  This  will  appear  the  more 
evident  and  necessary,  when  we  find  that  the  lower  bottoms  above  the 
Salinas  Valley  are  capable  of  producing  a  wheat  crop,  (at  thirty -two 
bushels  per  acre)  sufficient  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  population  num 
bering  three  times  that  of  the  present  within  this  State  : — say  nine  hun 
dred  thousand. 

A  district  of  our  State  presenting  capacity  and  advantages  of  this 
character,  and  crippled  as  it  is  for  the  means  of  transporting  its  pro 
ductions  to  our  markets,  should  command  some  attention,  and  such,  at 
least,  as  would  have  a  tendency  to  induce  an  early  and  permanent  set 
tlement  of  such  lands,  if  nothing  more ;  and  this  the  more  especially  as 
a  considerable  area  of  the  over-flowed  and  saline  lands  of  these  plains 
must  ultimately  fall  Avithin  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State. 


' 


50  [APPENDIX 


SOILS  OF  THE  SALINAS.    ?  ;  : 

The  soils  of  this  valley  have  been  derived  from  the  primitive  forma 
tions  on  both  sides  of  the  plains  :  that  derived  from  the  granite  series 
on  the  coast  side  is  coarse  and  easily  permeable  to  water ;  this  obtains 
more  particularly  in  the  vicinity  ofthe  Grabilan  mountains,  and  this  va 
riety  of  soil  does  not  extend  beyond  the  high  "mesa"  on  the  eastern 
side.  The  trapean  rocks  and  limestone  of  this  range  exert  an  important 
influence  in  modifying  the  sterility  usually  attendant  on  soils  derived 
from  the  detritus  of  the  granites,  and  in  this  case  they  exist  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  render  those  soils  productive  on  the  upper  terrace  of  the 
valley.  The  productions  of  each  of  these  terraces  differs  in  a  material 
degree,  arising  principally  from  two  immediate  causes ;  the  first  mois 
ture,  the  second,  the  finer  disintegration  of  the  material  composing  the 
soils ;  to  these  may  be  added  a  third,  which  sometimes  exerts  a  wide 
influence  on  the  lower  bottom.  The  upper  terrace  produces  the  native 
wild  oat  for  the  most  part?,  or  a  wirj-  tough  grass ;  the  oat  flourishes  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  latter  on  a  brown  red  soil  composed  of  loam  mixed 
with  the  harsher  material  derived  from  the  granite,  and  wherever  this 
loamy  matter  is  found  to  diminish  in  quantity,  a  corresponding  increase 
in  the  native  wire  grass  is  found.  This  rule  was  found  to  hold  good  in 
the  entire  length  of  the  plain  on  its  eastern  border.  . 

Passing  to  the  second  terrace,  plants  of  a  different  character  are  found. 
The  oat  is  found  to  a  considerable  extent  on  some  parts  of  this,  but  is 
usually  succeeded  by  another  variety  of  grass  which  seems  much  better 
adapted  for  feed  to  animals,  and  usually  grows  very  thick  and  matted  ; 
among  this  the  common  bargrass,  which  increases  in  quantity  as  the  low 
er  terrace  is  approached,  and  which  animals  are  extremely  fond  of  eat 
ing,  in  preference  to  the  oat  when  placed  side  by  side  ;  on  the  western 
edge  of  the  second  terrace,  the  wild  mustard  abounds,  covering  thou 
sands  of  acres,  and  growing  to  the  height  of  ten  to  fourteen  feet,  form 
ing  an  impenetrable  jungle  to  man  or  beast  for  miles  in  extent;  wherev 
er  the  settler  has  succeeded  in  eradicating  this  article  from  the  soil,  it  has 
been  found  to  produce  abundant  crops  of  grains  or  roots,  and  if  anything 
superior  in  some  cases  to  the  lands  of  the  lower  bottom,  The  lower 
part  of  the  terrace  on  which  the  mustard  is  usually  found  in  greatest 
quantities,  is  sufficiently  moist  for  the  propagation  of  any  crops  that 
may  be  necessary  to  be  placed  upon  them.  Water  is  obtainable  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  surface  on  any  part  of  it. 

-  Passing  to  the  lower  terrace,  we  find  the  principal  native  productions 
to  be  the  burgrass  and  a  variety  of  the  rumex,  mingled  with  a  much 
greater  variety  of  others  than  is  to  be  found  on  any  other  part  of  these 
bottoms.  On  the  higher  positions  the  mustard  also  abounds  in  conside 
rable  quantities.  Some  parts  of  this  terrace  are  arenaceous,  being  cov 
ered  to  the  depth  of  two  feet  with  a  loosej  fine  sand,  usually  the  result 
of  a  heavy  freshet ,  and  not  otherwise.  In  this  is  found  a  third  cause 
for  the  varieties  which  these  bottoms  produce.  An  interesting  exhibi 
tion  of  this  occurred  from  the  freshet  of  last  winter,  on  the  Castro  Eanch, 
adjoining  the  Wacional.  At  this  place  about  three  hundred  acres  were 
covered  with  this  sand  to  the  depth  of  two  and  a-half  feet ;  on  a  portion 


Doe.  No.  9.]  51 

of  it  a  fine  field  of  corn  had  been  raised  the  previous  year,  also  wheat 
and  barley.  The  land  formerly  produced  a  heavy  growth  of  mustard, 
but  was- reclaimed- from  this  in  part  by  tillage.  The  effect  of  the  over 
flow  was  to  destroy  every  vestige  of  former  vegetation,  and  in  its  place 
a  thick  growth  of  willows  had  sprung  up  that  were  equally  impenetra 
ble  with  the  mustard  on  the  plains.  At  the  time  I  visited  them  they 
had  attained  a  height  of  about  four  feet.  This  immense  deposit  of  sand 
on  the  arable  land  of  this  part  the  lower  bottom  is  covered  by  the  obstruc 
tions  on  the  beach  of  the  coast  to  the  free  egress  of  the  waters  from 
the  interior  during  freshets,  and  until  they  shall  be  removed,  some  of 
the  best  lands  of  this  valley  will  be  constantly  subjected  to  this  ruinous 
result  in  all  coming  time. 

The  amount  of  land  liable  to  be  thus  buried  beneath  this  arenaceous 
deposit  is  great,  and  as  it  comprises  a  large  part  of  the  most  valuable 
property  in  this  section  of  country,  it  demands  consideration. 

The  quantity  of  arable  lands  contained  within  the  Salina  Plains,  is  es 
timated  at  about  seven  hundred  and  eighty  square  miles,  this  being  com 
prised  in  the  lower  terraces  only  ;  the  upper  terrace  cannot  strictly  be 
considered  as  available  for  agriculture,  but  it  more  properly  a  grazing 
country  with  very  few  exceptions.  The  above  quantities  are  divided  as 
follows :  the  lower  terrace  or  river  bottom  contains  three  hundred,  twenty 
miles,  and  the  second  terrace  about  four  hundred  and  sixty,  and  enjoy  ing 
a  climate  in  its  different  sections  which  will  be  found  adapted  to  the 
growths  of  the  extremes  of  temperate  zones. 


PAJAEO  VALLEY.     . 

This  valley  is  situated  on  the  coast,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  and 
east  by  the  southern  part  of  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains,  and  on  the  south 
by  the  low  hills  forming  spur  of  the  Gabilan  Range,  and  which  divide 
it  from  the  Salinas  Plains.  The  valley  is  about  eight  miles  in  length, 
and  about  four  in  breadth  on  an  average,  exclusive  of  the  foot  hills,  or 
low,  table  hills,  on  its  west  border;  the  Pajaro  River  forming  the  bound 
ary  of  the  counties  Monterey,  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Clara,  has  its  rise  near 
San  Felipe,  and  flows  in  a  westerly  direction  through  the  low  hills  at  the 
base  of  the  mountains,  thence  along  the  northwest  border  of  the  valley 
for  about  two  miles,  where  crosses  the  latter  within  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  town  of  Watsonville,  and  reaches  the  sea  at  a  point  south  ten 
degrees  west  of  the  latter  locality,  four  miles  distant. 

This  plain  is  of  comparatively  recent  formation,  and  formerly  was  a 
well-sheltered  bay  of  the  sea ;  the  sandstone  formation  in  the  hills  to 
the  north  and  east  are  of  the  same  age  as  that  now  forming  the  coast 
line  between  it  and  the  town  of,  Santa  Cruz,  the  fossils  of  which  of  pre 
sent  existing  species ;  the  forces  that  were  instrumental  in  elevating 
this  section  have  been  gradual,  as  is  evinced  in  the  highly  disturbed  po 
sition  of  the  sedimentary  rocks  along  the  coast  for  thirty-five  miles ;  in 
these  localities,  it  is  difficult,  in  some  instances  to  detect  any  inclination 
of  the  strata  whatever,  and  it  is  only  in  the  mountain  sections  that  this 
disturbance  becomes  markedly  manifest ;  the  uplift  of  this  entire  sec 
tion  has  taken  place  since  the  rocks  on  which  the  tertiaries  rest  assumed 


52  [APPENIHX 

assumed  the  solid  state,  as  no  instance  of  change  in  the  structure  of  any 
of  these  rocks  is.  apparent  at  the  points  of  contact.  The  under-lying 
rock  is  primitive  and  of  the  granite  class,  and  this  continues  for  eight 
een  miles  north  of  Santa  Cruz.  In  this  valley  and  also  in  the  vicinity 
of  Santa  Cruz  the  soils  are  made  up  of  a  mixture  of  the  primitive  and 
sedimentary  formations,  thus  rendering  them  fertile  and  easily  tilled.  In 
the  lower  lands  the  soils  are  much  better  developed,  yet  the  hilly  lands 
are  capable  of  producing  abundant  root  crops  and  grains.  The  cause 
that  render  these  hill-sides  adapted  to  agriculture  is  the  same  as  that 
found  on  the  high  terrace  of  the  Santa  Clara,  viz.:  a  quantity  of  sulphate 
of  lime  acting  as  an  absorbent,  and  retaining  sufficient  moisture  to  sup 
port  a  healthy  nutrition  in  the  plant. 

The  entire  range  of  hills  lying  between  the  Pajaro  and  south  part  of 
the  Santa  Clara,  and  also  a  large  portion  of  that  range  between  the  Sa 
linas  and  Pajaro  are  well  adapted  to  cropping,  particularly  for  winter 
grains,  and.  in  some  instances  they  are  preferable  to  the  valley  lands, 
and  would,  if  brought  under  cultivation,  produce  better  crops  than  the 
plains ;  they  are  also  much/  better  adapted  to  the  culture  of  fruit-trees 
than  valley  sections,  possessing  all  the  elements  of  which  the  valleys  are 
composed,  and  which  render  them  fertile,  they  possess  the  advantage  of 
sheltering  the  young  tree  from  the  effects  of  the  strong  winds  that  pass 
over  these  sections  from  the  sea,  and  also  its  chilling  effects  on  the  young 
blossoms  and  fruit. 

There  is  no  part  of  this  State  that  I  have  visited,  which  possesses  the 
same  natural  advantages  for  fruit  culture  as  are  to  be  found  in  the  dis 
trict  above  alluded  to  ;  while  artificial  irrigation  is  necessary  in  other 
parts  of  the  State,  in  order  to  sustain  the  vitality  of  the  tree ;  this  is  fur 
nished  regularly  each  night  by  aqueous  exhalation  from  ;the  ocean,  and 
extending  some  thirty  miles  into  the  interior;  during  the  months  of 
July  and  August,  last  summer,  an  opportunity  to  observe  this  part  was 
offered,  and  I  found  that  over  this  entire  section  a  sufficient  amount  of 
moisture  was  deposited  each  night  to  wet  the  leaves  of  plants  very  sen 
sibly,  and  during  the  heavier  fogs,  a  quantity  sufficient  to  keep  the 
ground  wet  under  medium  sized  trees  until  near  mid-day ;  a  person  en 
tering  this  section  of  country  in  the  morning  would  suppose  from  the 
appearance  of  the  ground  that  a  light  rain  had  occurred  during  the 
night,  and  it  was  not  unfrequent  that  I  was  obliged  to  dry  my  blankets 
in  the  morning  previous  to  saddling  my  horse. 

The  soil  is  equally  Adapted  to  their  propagation  being  of  texture  that 
will  permit  the  expansion  of  the  roots  oelow  the  surface  without  the  ne 
cessity  of  sinking  deep  into  the  earth,  as  is  the  case  in  many  parts  o  fthe 
country,  where  even  the  most  hardy  indigenous  trees  are  found  to  send 
their  roots  to  great  depths  in  order  to  obtain  nourishment  and  support 
for  the  trunk.  It  is  surprising  that  with  the  advantages  presented  for 
the  cultivation  of  American  fruit-trees  in  this  section  of  the  State,  that 
so  little  attention  has  been  given  to  this  subject  in  this  vicinity;  heavy 
losses  have  been  sustained  by  individuals  in  attempting  to  rear  trees  in 
many  parts  of  the  country,  and  this  has,  in  a  great  measure,  prevented 
others  from  embarking  in  this  enterprize ;  but  in  most  of  those  cases 
where  failures  have  followed  the  attempt,  it  has  been  from  a  soil  ill- 


Doc.  No.  9,]  53 

adapted  to  their  propagation,  or  in  localities  where  floods  have  had  the 
effect  to  destroy  them. 

These  injurious  influences  are  absent  here,  and  there  is  every  thing 
that  can  be  desired  to  invite  the  pomologist  in  this  ornamental  and  use 
ful  enterprize.  .  . 

Fruit  culture  is  to  form  an  important  branch  in  the  industrial  pursuits 
of  this  country  ;  the  lands  best  adapted  these  purposes  in  other  localities 
than  those  mentioned,  are  to  be  found  in  the  south  and  middle  portions 
of  the  County  San  Francisco,  from  the  San  Mateo  to  the  Francisquito 
and  toward  the  foot  of  the  mountains  to  the  west.  North  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  the  upper  portions  of  Napa  Valley  and  Sonoma  are  equally  as 
good  as  those  of  some  parts  of  the  county  of  Santa  Cruz,  affording  much 
the  same  general  characteristics  as  those  of  the  latter  county. 


LIVERMOKE    VALLEY. 

This  valley  is  situated  in  the  central  portion  of  mountains  lying  east 
of  the  bay  San  Francisco  and  valley  Santa  Clara ;  it  divides  these  moun 
tains  into  two  distinct  lines  of  ridges,  and  runs  rather  obtusely  to  their 
course.  The  different  names  that  are  applied  to  this  valley  convey  the 
idea  that  there  are  as  many  distinct  valleys,  but  such  is  .not  the  case,  as 
no  hills  intervene  to  destroy  the  general  level  throughout  its  entire 
extent.  From  its  extreme  north  to  its  extreme  southern  terminus  the 
valley  is  about  sixteen  miles  in  length  and  from  five  to  seven  in  breadth. 
On  the  north  it  is  bounded  by  Monte  Diablo  and  its  adjoining  hills, 
separating  it  from  Pacheco  Valley ;  on  the  east  by  a  single  high  ridge 
separating  it  from  the  plains  of  the  San  Joaquin ;  on  the  south  by  the 
hills  near  the  northern  part  of  the  Canada  Corall,  and  on  the  west  by 
the  high  ridge  separating  it  from  the  Bay  San  Francisco.  A  large  por 
tion  of  the  northern  centre  of  this  valley  is  occupied  by  a  lagoon  filled 
with  tule,  and  the  latter  extend  for  a  considerable  distance  from  its 
borders. 

The  soil  of  the  valley  is  generally  good  on  the  borders,  but  toward  the 
centre  it  is  either  wet  and  heavy  and  withal  somewhat  saline,  on  the 
higher  parts  dry  and  gravelly.  The  entire  district  appears  much  better 
adapted  to  grazing  lands  than  to  agriculture,  unless  water  for  irrigation 
is  obtained  through  artesian  borings,  and  from  the  appearance  of  the 
valley  there  is  but  little  question  that  an  abundant  supply  is  obtainable 
from  these  sources.  The  altitude  of  the  valley  is  four  hundred  and 
thirty  feet  above  the  sea ;  and  derives  the  principal  portion  of  its  sup: 
plies  of  water  from  the  slopes  connecting  with  Monte  Diablo.  On  the 
south  and  southwest  sides,  among  the  hills,  considerable  masses  of  the 
metamorphic  rocks  are  to  be  seen,  and  the  appearance  of  quartz  veins  is 
more  frequent  in  this  vicinity  than ,  in  any  other  section  of  these  moun 
tains  that  were  observed. 

On  all  the  hills  that  surround  this  basin,  are  to  be  found  fossiliferous 
sond&ones,  and  among  the  alluvium,  in  some  localities,  are  to  be  found 
considerable  quantities  of  fragmentary  shells,  among  which  a  large  Gry- 
phea  has  heretofore  existed  in  considerable  quantities.  Some  specimens 
of  the  latter  fossil  are  to  be  found  in  the  office  of  the  U.  S.  Land  Survey, 


52  [ 

assumed  the  solid  state,  as  no  instance  of  change  in  the  structure  of  any 
of  these  rocks  is.  apparent  at  the  points  of  contact.  The  under-lying 
rock  is  primitive  and  of  the  granite  class,  and  this  continues  for  eight 
een  miles  north  of  Santa  Cruz.  In  this  valley  and  also  in  the  vicinity 
of  Santa  Cruz  the  soils  are  made  up  of  a  mixture  of  the  primitive  and 
sedimentary  formations,  thus  rendering  them  fertile  and  easily  tilled.  In 
the  lower  lands  the  soils  are  much  better  developed,  yet  the  hilly  lands 
are  capable  of  producing  abundant  root  crops  and  grains.  The  cause 
that 'render  these  hill-sides  adapted  to  agriculture  is  the  same  as  that 
found  on  the  high  terrace  of  the  Santa  Clara,  viz.:  a  quantity  of  sulphate 
of  lime  acting  as  an  absorbent,  and  retaining  sufficient  moisture  to  sup 
port  a  healthy  nutrition  in  the  plant. 

The  entire  range  of  hills  lying  between  the  Pajaro  and  south  part  of 
the  Santa  Clara,  and  also  a  large  portion  of  that  range  between  the  Sa 
linas  and  Pajaro  are  well  adapted  to  cropping,  particularly  for  winter 
grains,  and  in  some  instances  they  are  preferable  to  the  valley  lands, 
and  would,  if  brought  under  cultivation,  produce  better  crops  than  the 
plains ;  they  are  also  much/  better  adapted  to  the  culture  of  fruit-trees 
than  valley  sections,  possessing  all  the  elements  of  which  the  valleys  are 
composed,  and  which  render  them  fertile,  they  possess  the  advantage  of 
sheltering  the  young  tree  from  the  effects  of  the  strong  winds  that  pass 
over  these  sections  from  the  sea,  and  also  its  chilling  effects  on  the  young 
blossoms  and  fruit. 

There  is  no  part  of  this  State  that  I  have  visited,  which  possesses  the 
same  natural  advantages  for  fruit  culture  as  are  to  be  found  in  the  dis 
trict  above  alluded  to ;  while  artificial  irrigation  is  necessary  in  other 
parts  of  the  State,  in  order  to  sustain  the  vitality  of  the  tree ;  this  is  fur 
nished  regularly  each  night  by  aqueous  exhalation  from  .the  ocean,  and 
extending  some  thirty  miles  into  the  interior ;  during  the  months  of 
July  and  August,  last  summer,  an  opportunity  to  observe  this  part  was 
offered,  and  I  found  that  over  this  entire  section  a  sufficient  amount  of 
moisture  was  deposited  each  night  to  wet  the  leaves  of  plants  very  sen 
sibly,  and  during  the  heavier  fogs,  a  quantity  sufficient  to  keep  the 
ground  wet  under  medium  sized  trees  until  near  mid-day ;  a  person  en 
tering  this  section  of  country  in  the  morning  would  suppose  from  the 
appearance  of  the  ground  that  a  light  rain  had  occurred  during  the 
night,  and  it  was  not  unfrequent  that  I  was  obliged  to  dry  my  blankets 
in  the  morning  previous  to  saddling  my  horse. 

The  soil  is  equally  Adapted  to  their  propagation  being  of  texture  that 
will  permit  the  expansion  of  the  roots  oelow  the  surface  without  the  ne 
cessity  of  sinking  deep  into  the  earth,  as  is  the  case  in  many  parts  o  fthe 
country,  where  even  the  most  hardy  indigenous  trees  are  found  to  send 
their  roots  to  great  depths  in  order  to  obtain  nourishment  and  support 
for  the  trunk.  It  is  surprising  that  with  the  advantages  presented  for 
the  cultivation  of  American  fruit-trees  in  this  section  of  the  State,  that 
so  little  attention  has  been  given  to  this  subject  in  this  vicinity;  heavy 
losses  have  been  sustained  by  individuals  in  attempting  to  rear  trees  in 
many  parts  of  the  country,  and  this  has,  in  a  great  measure,  prevented 
others  from  embarking  in  this  enterprize ;  but  in  most  of  those  cases 
where  failures  have  followed  the  attempt,  it  has  been  from  a  soil  ill- 


Doc.  No.  9.]  53 

adapted  to  their  propagation,  or  in  localities  where  floods  have  had  the 
effect  to  destroy  them. 

These  injurious  influences  are  absent  here,  and  there  is  every  thino- 
that  can  be  desired  to  invite  the  pomologist  in  this  ornamental  and  use 
ful  enterprize. 

Fruit  culture  is  to  form  an  important  branch  in  the  industrial  pursuits 
of  this  country  ;  the  lands  best  adapted  these  purposes  in  other  localities 
than  those  mentioned,  are  to  be  found  in  the  south  and  middle  portions 
of  the  County  San  Francisco,  from  the  San  Mateo  to  the  Francisquito 
and  toward  the  foot  of  the  mountains  to  the  west.  North  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  the  upper  portions  of  JSTapa  Valley  and  Sonoma  are  equally  as 
good  as  those  of  some  parts  of  the  county  of  Santa  Cruz,  affording  much 
the  same  general  characteristics  as  those  of  the  latter  county. 


LIVEKMOKE    VALLEY. 

This  valley  is  situated  in  the  central  portion  of  mountains  lying  east 
of  the  bay  San  Francisco  and  valley  Santa  Clara ;  it  divides  these  moun 
tains  into  two  distinct  lines  of  ridges,  and  runs  rather  obtusely  to  their 
course.  The  different  names  that  are  applied  to  this  valley  convey  the 
idea  that  there  are  as  many  distinct  valleys,  but  such  is  .not  the  case,  as 
no  hills  intervene  to  destroy  the  general  level  throughout  its  entire 
extent.  From  its  extreme  north  to  its  extreme  southern  terminus  the 
valley  is  about  sixteen  miles  in  length  and  from  five  to  seven  in  breadth. 
On  the  north  it  is  bounded  by  Monte  Diablo  and  its  adjoining  hills, 
separating  it  from  Pacheco  Valley ;  on  the  east  by  a  single  high  ridge 
separating  it  from  the  plains  of  the  San  Joaquin ;  on  the  south  by  the 
hills  near  the  northern  part  of  the  Canada  Corall,  and  on  the  west  by 
the  high  ridge  separating  it  from  the  Bay  San  Francisco.  A  large  por 
tion  of  the  northern  centre  of  this  valley  is  occupied  by  a  lagoon  filled 
with  tule,  and  the  latter  extend  for  a  considerable  distance  from  its 
borders. 

The  soil  of  the  valley  is  generally  good  on  the  borders,  but  toward  the 
centre  it  is  either  wet  and  heavy  and  withal  somewhat  saline,  on  the 
higher  parts  drv  and  gravelly.  'The  entire  district  appears  much  better 
adapted  to  grazing  lands  than  to  agriculture,  unless  water  for  irrigation 
is  obtained  through  artesian  borings,  and  from  the  appearance  of  the 
valley  there  is  but  little  question  that  an  abundant  supply  is  obtainable 
from  these  sources.  The  altitude  of  the  valley  is  four  hundred  and 
thirty  feet  above  the  sea ;  and  derives  the  principal  portion  of  its  sup: 
plies  of  water  from  the  slopes  connecting  with  Monte  Diablo.  On  the 
south  and  southwest  sides,  among  the  hills,  considerable  masses  of  the 
metamorphic  rocks  are  to  be  seen,  and  the  appearance  of  quartz  veins  is 
more  frequent  in  this  vicinity  than .  in  any  other  section  of  these  moun 
tains  that  were  observed. 

On  all  the  -  hills  that  surround  this  basin,  are  to  be  found  fossiliferous 
sond$tones,  and  among  the  alluvium,  in  some  localities,  are  to  be  found 
considerable  quantities  of  fragmentary  shells,  among  which  a  large  Gry- 
phea  has  heretofore  existed  in  considerable  quantities.  Some  specimens 
of  the  latter  fossil  are  to  be  found  in  the  office  of  the  U.  S.  Land  Survey, 


54  [APPENDIX 

* 

but  none  that  were  sufficiently  perfect  for  cabinet  specimens  could  be 
obtained  at  the  time  I  visited!  the  locality  from  which  the  above  speci 
mens  were  taken.  These  monstrous  bivalves  retain  the  animal  in  a  pet 
rified  state  most  perfectly  preserved,  and  it  is  evident  from  their  distri 
bution  and  appearance  that  they  must  have  been  elevated  above  the 
surface  of  the  waters  during  life ;  the  evidence  of  this  exists  in  the  fact 
that  nearly  every  shell  contains  the  animal,  which  if  they  had  been 
raised  above  the  surface  after  life  had  been  destroyed  the  probabilities 
are  that  very  few  animals  would  be  found. 

The  route  from  this  valley  to  the  San  Joaquin  plains  lays  through  a 
narrow  pass  emerging  from  the  southwestern  side  of  the  valley-  The 
pass  retains  the  name  of  the  valley  into  which  it  enters,  and  is  about 
sixteen  miles  (inclusive  of  that  part  of  the  valley .  through  which  it 
passes,)  in  length  :  at  this  point  you  enter  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  at  a 
point  .known  as  the.  Elk  Horn.  The  house  at  this  place  is  two  hundred 
and  twenty  feet  above  the  sea.  A  gentle  rise  of  the  land  occurs  here  for 
about  half  a  mile,  and  then  the  valley  slopes  gently  towards  the  river. 
The  road  to  the  river  follows  the  course  of  the  tule  bottoms  for  about 
twelve  miles,  and  then  enters  an  Encinal  of  oaks,  which  continue  to  the 
river. 

One  of  the  chief  points  of  interest  in  this  vicinity  is  the  extensive 
area  covered  by  tule ;  they  commence  near  the  junction  of  the  river  and 
Suisun  bay,  and  extend  to  a  point  about  eighteen  miles  south  of  Castoria 
on  the  west  sicj.e  of  the  river;  having  an  average  breadth  of  about, 
twelve  miles.  From  the  appearance  of  the  country  in  which  they  are 
situated,  I  had  formed  an  opinion  that  a  large  proportion  of  these  lands 
might  be  easily  reclaimed,  and  if  so,  they  must  ultimately  become  valu 
able  property.  With  this  view  the  altitude  above  the  sea  was  taken  in 
several  places,  on  my  return  to  the  mountains  to  the  west,  and  the  aver 
age  of  those  results  gave  the  sum  of  eighty  feet  above  tide  level. 
Should  it  prove  that  this  level  is  maintained  to  any  considerable  distance 
and  the  general  character  of  those  lands  favor  this  presumtion,  or  should 
there  be  a  depression  to  the  amount  of  twenty -five  feet  from  their  border 
to  their  centre,  which  is  rather  improbable,  there  will  still  remain  fifty- 
five  feet  fall  to  reclaim  them  by  drainage. 

If  properly  drained,  these  lands  could  be  applied  to  the  culture  of  rice 
or  other  vegetable  productions,  and  judging  from  the  character  of  the 
soils  immediately  about  them,  they  would  prove  highly  prolific.  And 
here  in  passing  I  will  mention  one  incident  in  relation  to  the  capacity  of 
the  soil  for  production,  that  may  prove  not  only  interesting  but  useful, 
in  illustration  of  erroneous  opinions  heretofore  expressed  relative  to 
lands  on  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  and  which  perhaps  has  exerted  as 
great  an  influence  in  preventing  the  permanent  settlement  of  these  plains 
as  perhaps  anything  that  has  been  urged  against  them.  Toward  the 
foot-hills  of  the  mountains  to  the  west,  is  a  low  table  of  the  valley  ap 
parently  destitute  of  water,  either  for  the  support  of  vegetation  or 
animal  life,  in  some  parts  this  land^has  a  slight  gravelly  appearance,  but 
this  is  not  general ;  on  one  ranch  situated  on  this  plateau  there  ha*  been 
two  full  crops  of  barley  harvested  from  the  same  piece-  of  ground,  and 
when  I  visited  this  place  in  October  the  third  crop  was  then  being  har- 


Doc.  No.  9.]  55 

rowed  in;  the  whole  having  occurred  within  the  term  of  two-hundr  d 
and  seventy -three  days. 

As  soon  as  this  fact  became  known,  settlers  were  soon  found  to  be  oil 
their  way  thither,  and  at  that  time  there  was  not  a  farm  to  be  found 
vacant  for  a  considerable  distance .  around.  There  is  no  reason  for  the 
supposition  that  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  and  toward  the  moun 
tains  is  unsuited  for  cultivation,  for  the  fact  before  us  is  a  sufficient  proof 
to  the  contrary. 

Having  noticed  the  more  general  characteristics  of  the  geology  of  that 
part  of  the  country  embraced  in  the  examinations  of  the  past  season, 
and  also  their  more  general  adaptation  to  the  industrial  departments  of 
agriculture,  it  now  remains  to  speak  of  their  resources  and  the  uses  to 
which  they  may  be  applied. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  THE  COAST  MOUNTAINS'. 

The  minerals  of  these  mountains  are  widely  dispersed  throughout 
their  entire  extent ;  they  consist  principally  of  copper,  iron,  lead,  silver, 
gold,  rnickel,  and  antimony,  with  agates,  calcedony,  and  many  others 
too  numerous  to  mention  here,  but  will  be  found  under  their  proper 
head. 

The  metallic  minerals  are  widely  distributed  ;  the  ores  of  copper  are 
found  in  the  form  of  carbonate,  sulphuret,  and  silicate,  among  the  Santa 
Cruz  Mountains ;  in  the  vicinity  of  Rincon  Point,  south  of  San  Francisco, 
it  is  found  sparingly  disseminated  among  the  trap  and  metamorphosed 
rocks  of  that  section.  In  the  mountains,  south  of  Monterey,  it  is  also 
found  over  a  limited  area,  and  again  in  the  lower  hills  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Salinas  Valley,  near  the  Rancho  Alisal.  At  this  locality  it  occurs 
in  an  extensive  quartz  dike  that  has  forced  its  way  through  all  the  other 
rocks  both  igneous  and  sedimentary ;  the  forms  in  which  it  appears  are 
the  blue  and  green  carbonate,  in  crystals,  the  sulphuret,  the  latter  found 
in  small  masses  detached  from  the  gangiie.  In  the  same  rocks  is  to  be 
found  considerable  quantities  of  iron  p<yrites,  generally  disseminated  and 
containing  a  small  quantity  of  gold.  The  above  ores  of  copper  are  often 
met  with  in  these  mountains,  their  occurrence  over  so  wide  a  range  and 
the  trapean  rocks  with  which  they  are  so  often  associated  leads  to  the 
belief  that  at  a  future  day  they  may  be  found  in  sufficient  quantity  to  be 
profitably  worked. 

SILVER. — In  the  county  Monterey,  this  metal  occurs  in  the  form  of 
argentiferous  galena  (or  lead  and  silver)  this  mineral  is  found  in  the 
primitive  and  transition  limestone  abounding  in  this  section;  it  is  found 
in  small  veins  and  disseminated ;  the  range  in  which  it  occurs,  extends 
from  the  Gabilan  Peak  to  the  Chapedero  on  the  south,  a  distance  of 
twelve  miles  inclusive.  The  limestone  in  whicfi  it  is  found,  and  the 
granitic  rocks  adjoining  have  been  disturbed  by  the  intrusion  of  trapean 
rocks  to  the  east,  and  from  the  opportunity  that  was  offered  for  its  ex 
amination  it  dips  under  the  valley  of  the  west  at  a  considerable  angle. 
A  cross-cut  has  been  driven  from  the  west  side  of  the  hill  for  the  pur 
pose  of  intersecting  the  line  of  the  view,  but  was  abandoned  before 


reaching  the  limestone.*  A  shaft  has  also  been  sunk  on  the  vein  to  the 
depth  of  fifty -five  feet, -and  'at  the  bottom  the  granite  had  been  reached, 
an  opportunity  was  presented  in  the  level  from  the  bottom  of  the  shaft 
to  make  an  examination  on  its  line  of  strike,  and  from  all  that  could  be 
seen,  (as  there  had  been  much  caving  in  of  the  walls)  it  is  evident  that 
the  metallic  vein  is  confined  to  the  calcareous  rock,  as  no  vestige  of -it 
was  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  granite  below  it. 

'  At  one  point  the  decomposed  vein  showed  a  power  of  four  or  five 
inches  for  two  feet  in  depth,  this  was  followed  down  to  the  granite,  and 
at  its  junction  all  traces  of  the  vein  ceased  to  exist.  It  is  not  -improba 
ble  that  a  well  defined  sett  may  be  found  under  the  valley,  but  it  will 
require  much  exploration  and  expenditure  of  capital  to  determine  that 
point,  as  mining  operations  cannot  be  entered  upon  with  small  means 
and  ultimate  prospects  of  success.  .  . 

Traces  of  this  mineral  are  to  be  met  with  for  several  miles  north  and 
south  of  this  locality,  and  its  distribution  over  so  wide  a  range  of  coun 
try  induces  a  belief  that  a  profitable  vien  may  yet  be  found  in  these 
mountains. 

IKON. — This  metal  is  found  in  almost  every  variety  of  form,  from  one 
end  of  the  Coast  Mountains  to  the  other,  the  prevailing  mineral  how 
ever,  is  the.  peroxide  and  protoxide  of  this  metal;  the  latter  is  often 
found  in  the  form  of  hydrate,  and  when  occuring  in  proximity  to  serpen 
tine  rocks  often  found  to  be  more  or  less  auriferous.  This  mineral  is 
largely  developed  in  some  parts  of  the  auriferous  district  of  Mariposa 
county,  and  from  one  of  the  most  valuable  receptacles  of  gold  among 
the  gold-bearing  rocks  of  that  section. 

SULPHATE  IKON. — This  article  known  in  commerce  under  the  name 
of  "  Copperas,"  is  found  native  in  large  quantities  near  the  town  of 
Santa  Cruz.  Its  principle  had  occurred  a  short  distance  west  of  the 
house  of  Mr.  Medor  in  a  gulch  running  from  the  mountains  through 
the  low  hills  to  the  coast.  I  followed  the  course  of  the  ravine  from 
where  it  enters  the  high  hill  near  the  crossing  of  the  road  north-west  of 
the  town  to  near  the  sea,  the  average  depth  of  its  banks  varies  from 
fifteen  to  thirty  feet,  its  length  from  the  hill  to  the  coast  being  about 
two  miles. 

The  copperas  formed  an  efflorescence-  on  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the 
ravine  covering  entirely  the  earth  and  stones,  on  which  a  great  quantity 
had  crystalized ;  it  was  not  difficult  to  scoop  up  a  pound  or  more,  at  any 
one  of  these  places ;  the  banks  of  the  ravine  above  the  water  were  cov 
ered  with  the  effloresced  salt  to  such  a  thickness  that  a  white  and  green 
color  was  given  for  several  yards  in  length,  the-  ground  being  entirely 
obscured.  The  depth  of  the  earth  tfyat  was  thoroughly  impregnate*:! 
with  the  salt,  would  average  ten  feet  for  the -whole  length  of  the  ravine 
the  depth  to  which  thfs  descends  below  the  surface  is  unknown,  but  it'  is 
probably  considerable ;  the  rocks  at  the  bottom  are  a  micaceous  schist 
and  were  broken  into  for  two  or  three  feet  and  at  that  depth  seemed  as 
strongly  charged  with  the  ferruginous  salt  as  at  the  surface.  A  small 
stream  of -water  runs  through  the  gulch  which  is  permanent  throughout 
the  year,  and  carries  a  sufficient  quantity  to  answer  all  the  purposes  of 


Doc.  No.  9.]  57    -.x 

an  extensive  manufacture  of  this  article  for  commerce.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  iind  a  loccality  that  combines  the  same  advantages"  that  this 
does  for  the  manufacture  of  sulphate  of  iron;  all  that  is  necessary  to  be 
done  has  been  performed  by  nature,  and  to  extract  the  salt  it  is  only 
necessary  to  erect  vats  upon  the  coast  and  shovel  the  earth,  to  be  leached, 
directly  into  them.  An  area  of  several  square  miles  is  highly  charged 
with  the  mineral  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  Santa  Cruz  will  be 
come  as  celebrated  for  the  manufacture  of  this  article  as  it  has  been  here 
tofore  for  its  vegetable  productions. 

MAGNETIC  IRON.  —  At  the  distance  of  two  mites  north-west  of  the 
above  locality,  an  extensive  bed  of  magnetic  iron  occurs,  running  down 
to  the  coast,  at  which  point  it  crops  out  arid  exhibits  a  depth  of  several 
feet.  Toward  the  mountains  I  have  been  informed  that  it  t  again  shows 
itself  above  the  surface  in  several  places  ;  there  is  every  reason  to  be 
lieve  that  it  underlies  an  extensive  district,  as  much  difficulty  has  been 
experienced  in  obtaining  correct  courses  by  the  compass  ;  in  one  instance 
the  needle  was  deflected  to  thirty-one  degrees  on  approaching  its  south 
ern  edge. 

GYPSUM.  —  Sulphate  of  lime  is  reported  to  abound  in  the  northern  paft 
of  Santa  Cruz,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Palo  de  los  Yeska,  some  six 
miles  from  the  Mission;  it  was  frequently  spoken  of  by  the  inhabitants 
of  this  place  but  I  was  unable  to  learn  its  precise  locality.  It  is  not  im 
probable  that  it  does  abound  in  this  vicinity,  as  ample  material  for  its 
formation  exists  in  this  section  of  country.  An  extensive  bed  of  moun 
tain  limestone  occurs  in  close  proximity  to  the  native  sulphate  of  iron 
alluded  to  in  the  former  paragraph. 

CINNABAR  —  Has  also  been  reported  to  have  occurred  in  this  vicinity. 
I  found  one  small  piece  east  of  the  San  Lorenzo  on  the  side  of  a  hill, 
but  it  is  not  impossible  that  it  might  have  been  carried  there  by  human 
means,  as  no  other  mineral  of  the  same  character  was  observed  ;  the 
occurrence  of  small  detached  pieces  of  cinnabar  in  these  places  is  not 
sufficient  evidence  to  found  a,  belief  that  it  occurs  in  situ,  or  that  a  de 
posit  may  occur  there. 


*  —  The  ores  of  this  metal  are  found  from  Contra  Costa  on  the 
north  to  the  utmost  southern  limit  reached  in  the  Coast  Mountains.  •?  It 
occurs  in  the  primitive  rocks,  associated  with  chronic  iron  in  almost  every 
case  where  the  latter  may  be  obtained.  It  appears  vas  a  bright  green 
mineral  on  the  fractured  surface  of  the  other  ores,  and  is  known  in  tech 
nical  language  as  "  nicked  green."  The  scarcity  of  this  metal  renders 
the  discovery  of  its  ores  in  this  country  an  object  of  some  importance, 
and  its  wide  distribution  leads  to  the  belief  that  it  exists  in  sufficient 
quantities  to.  warrant  investment  for  its  extraction  from  other  ores,  at  no 
distant  day.  It  is  extensively  used  in  the  manufacture  of  German  Sil 
ver  for  wares  and  household  utensils.  When  reduced,  the  metal  is 
white,  much  resembling  silver  in  in  its  general  appearance,  and  for 
which  it  has  been  mistaken  in  this  country.  The  principal  localities 
where  it  has  been  observed  this  season  are  at  Contra  Costa,  in  the  ser- 

8 


..,,„.. 

58  [APPENDIX 

pentine  rocks  south  of  Tulecita  and  near  San  Antonia  in  the  county 
Monterey,  among  the  large  beds  of  chronic  iron  from  the  San  Benito, 
and  the  Panoches,  of  the  Gabilan  range.  These  localities  afford  the 
largest  amounts  yet  found  in  this  State,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  those 
explorations  which  are  now  in  progress  in  this  part  of  the  country  may 
result  in  the  development  of  this  mineral  to  a  much  greater  extent  than 
yet  known. 

GOLD.-— This  metal  has  been  found  in  the  Coast  Mountains,  from  the 
County  San  Francisco  on  the  north  to  Luis  Obispo  on  the  south.  The 
slates  and  serpentine  formations  which  have  been  noticed  in  the  preceding 
pages  of  this  report  are  found  to  be  receptacles  of  gold  here  as  in  the 
Sierra  ^Nevada  ;  these  rocks  are  extensive  in  the  Coast  Mountains,  often 
comprising  an  entire  ridge  for  miles,  they  are  usually  flanked  by  the  gran 
ite.  During  the  past  summer,  the  placers  in  the  County  Santa  Cruz  were 
much  worked ;  the  gold  found  here  was  principally  on  the  San  Lorenzo 
and  its  tributaries ;  it  was  fine,  and  much  resembled  that  found  in  the  Caoti 
Hill,  near  Nevada;  under  the  glass  it  had  all  the  appearance  of  having 
suifered  but  little  from  attrition  by  water,  the  surface  of  the  grains  being 
rough,  as  though  just  detached  from  their '  original  matrix.  The  slates 
and  serpentine  rocks  occur  on  both  sides  of  this  creek,  with  small  veins 
of  quartz  running  through  them,  and  from  what  we  know  of  auriferous 
districts  of  this  and  other  countries,  the  presumption  that  gold  in  situ 
exists  here,  amounts  nearly  to  a  certainty. 

On  the  upper  portions  of  the  Carmello,  in  the  county'  Montery,  gold 
is  also  found,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Eancho  Tulecita.  far 
ther  to  the  southeast,  near  the  head  waters  of  the  creek,  it  is  also  found 
on  the  tributaries  of  the  main  stream,  that  flow  from  the  western  ridge 
of  these  mountains.  On  the  Francisquito,  a  tributary  of  the  Carmello, 
coming  from  the  southwest,  and  twelve  miles  from  the  coast  it  is  also 
found  near  the  house  of  Barondo.  Three  or  four  Mexicans  were  work 
ing  with  the  battaya  at  the  time  I  passed  that  ranche.  The  serpentine 
rocks  are  largely  developed  on  the  east  flanks  of  -the  granite  ridges,  and 
from  their  course  they  may  be  considered  as  forming  the  northern  part 
of  a  series  which  occurs  at  the-  Mission  San  Antonio  fifty  miles  south. 

I  was  informed  by  Mr.  Meadows,  who  has  traversed  the  interior  of 
these  mountains  probably  more  than  any'  other  man  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  that  the  same  class  of  rocks  are  -found  throughout  the  distance 
inclusive  between  the  Carmello  and  'the  above  Mission.  Near  San  An 
tonio  there  were  several  persons  at  work  during  the  past  summer,  in  the 
placers  in  this  vicinity.  This  was  no  new  discovery,  for  the  existence 
of  gold  at  this  locality  has  been  known  since  1850.  Those  at  work  at 
this  place  were  mostly  Mexicans,  and  while  traveling  on  the  Salinas  I 
frequently  met  companies  of  five  or  six,  with  their  camp  material  and 
tools,  wending  their  way  to  this  section. 

Qn  the  Pescadero  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Pajaro  Eiver,  gold  was 
found -during  the  past  summer;  it  was  first  observed  a  short  distance 
above  the  bituminous  springs  lying  on  the  north  bank  of  this  stream ;  the 
serpentine  rocks  abound  in  this  vicinity,  and  also  some  of  its  subordinate 
members ;  at  this  place  the  Magnesian  Group  of  the  Santa  Cruz  Moun 
tains,  which  run  north  into  San  Francisco,  have  their  southern  terminus. 


Doc.  No.  9.]  59 

On  the  Rancho  La  Brae,  near  the  Pescadero,  and  into  the  very^  edge  of 
the  Valley  Santa  Clara  the  talcose  series  and  gold  is  found ;  on  crossing 
the  Pajaro,  these  rocks  and  with,  them  the  gold  closes ;  not  a  trace  of 
this  metal,  or  rock  that  would  indicate  its  existence  was  to  be  found  in 
any  of  the  hills  east  of  the  Gabilan. 

The  district  of  country  in  the  Coast  Mountains  in  which  the  aurifer- 
erous  deposits  are  now  known  to  occur  is  about  eighty  miles  in  length, 
and  thus  far  is  confined  to  the  counties  of  Santa  Clara,  Monterey  and 
the  north  part  of  Luis  Obispo.  This  is  a  material  addition  to  the  al 
ready  known  area  in  which  this  metal  is  found,  and  its  location  in  what 
has  heretofore  been  considered  the  agricultural  districts  of  the  State, 
will  in  time  exert  a  beneficial  influence  in  the  permanent  settlement  of 
those  sections. 

ANTIMONY. — The  common  sulphuret  of  this  metal  fs  Very  abundant 
in  the  Monte  Diablo  Eange ;  at  Mount  Oso  it  is  found  in  large  masses, 
also  at  various  other  points  throughout  these  mountains ;  it  occurs  in 
considerable  quantities  in  some  parts-  of  the  County  of  Santa  Barbara. 
This  mineral  is  deserving  of  attention  as  it  often  contains  a  notable 
quantity  of  silver,  though  as  yet  no  specimens  which  have  been  found 
in  this  country  contain  a  large  per  centage  of  this  metal.  That  variety 
of  the  antimonial  ores  which  is  argentiferous,  has  a  lively  steel-gray 
color,  cuts  easily  with  the  knife  and  is  brittle,  while  the  common  gray 
antimony,  which  is  the  principal  yet  found,  has  a  lead-gray  color,  its 
fractured  surface,  easily  tarnishes  and  scales  of  the  mineral  are  slightly 
flexible.  * 

BITUMEN. — Bituminous  springs  abound  through  the  Coast  Moun 
tains,  and  in  some  places  is  much  used  in  the  construction  of  buildings, 
and  walks  in  front  of  buildings ;  for  the  latter  purposes  it  is  admirably 
adapted  in  situations  where  the  sun  will  not  have  too  powerful  an  effect 
upon  it,  as  in  such  cases  it  is  apt  to  become  soft.  In  the  counties  of 
Santa  Clara,  Santa  Cruz  and  Monterey,  several  of  these  springs  occur, 
and  further  south  are  found  more  abundant.  Information  has  been  re 
ceived  of  an  extensive  deposit  of  bitumen  in  Contra  Costa,  some  six 
miles  from  the  scores  of  the  bay,  but  at  what  point  I  have  as  yet  been 
unable  to  learn.  This  article  has  been  used  of  late  in  the  manufacture 
of  gas,  for  illumination,  and  it  possesses  some  advantages  over  the  com 
mon  oil  or  resin  gas  in  general  use ;  a  sufficient  quantity  for  the  illumin 
ation  of  the  country  may  be  easily  obtained  and  at  low  rates  when  re 
quired  for  this  purpose. 

CINNABAR.— This  mineral  is  well  known,  and  the  principal  mine  now 
opened  in  this  country  is  at  New  Almaden  in  the  County  of  Santa  Clara 
and  situated  twelve  miles  from  San  Jose.  The  town  of  Almaden  is  sit 
uated  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  sea  and  the  mine  is  eight 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  town,  making  the  elevation  of  the 
mine  thirteen  hundred  forty -five  above  tide  level.  The  ore_at  this  mine 
is  found  in  bunches  or  deposits  in  a  clay  highly  charged  with  peroxide 
iron.  The  cinnabar  contains  considerable  arsenic  generally  disseminated 
through  the  ore,  small  veins  of  calcareous  spar  are  found  running 


62  [APPENDIX 

of  about  four  miles,  with,  an  elevation  of  four  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea  for  the  greatest  part  of  its  length.' 

From  the  examinations  that  were  made  upon  this  range,  there  are 
abundant  evidences  that  an  ancient  stream,,  flowed  through  this  section, 
of  the  country,  and  in  a  direction  parallel  with  its  then  existing  moun 
tain  ridges,  and  the  extensive  mining  operations  conducted  in/the  south 
east  part  of  Sierra  county  011  this  range,  has  been  the  means  of  demon 
strating  this  fact,  which  -had  heretofore  been  strongly  suspected  only. 
The  outliers  of  its  banks  are  very  definitely  marked  throughout  the 
entire  length  of  the  formation  under  consideration,  and  its  former  bed 
filled  in  many  places, with  a  volcanic  sand  and  ashes,  which  probably 
accompanied  its  displacement. 

Iir  the  county  Sierra  these  peculiarities  ar-e  best  observed ;  in  the" 
viqinity,  and  foy  ten  miles  west  of  Downieville,  the  hills  are  covered 
with  a  volcanic  brecia  and  tufa,  which  may  be  conveniently  studied  be 
tween  the  Negro  Tent  and  Galloway's  Banch,  also  on 'all  the  hills  and 
ravines  surrounding  Yumanna  on  Oregoia  Creek.  On  the  creek  the 
tufaceous  deposit  is  found  to  the  depth  of  sixty  feet.  L 

The  exact  point  from  which  these  immense  quantities  of  volcanic 
materials  were  ejected,  is  somewhat  obscure ;  yet  there  are  reasons  for 
the  supposition  that  they  had  their  origin  in  the  truncated  cones  which 
lie  a  few  miles  to  the  north-east,  and  of  which  the  Pilot  Peak  forms  one 
of  the  principal  points  or  centres  of  this  rugged  and  forbidding  district. 
This  presumption  is  based  on  the  grounds  that  between  Uilot  Peak  and 
Yumana  there  are  ample  evidences  of  a  direct  connection  with  these 
larger  centres  of  disturbance ;  an  extensive  dike  of  black  scoriaceous 
and  vesicular,  lava  is  traceable  throughout  the  entire  distance  between 
Yumana  and  the  Pilot  Peak,  passing  through  the  hill  north-west  of 
Downieville,  and  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  town,  it  crosses  the 
river  at  this  point  and  appears  at  Durgan's  Flat  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  stream,  from  thence  it  is  again  met  near  Galloway's  Ranch,  and  con 
tinues  from  there  t9  the  high  bluff  which  overhangs  the  town  of 
Yumana,  on  Oregon  Creek.  There  are  no  other  true  volcanic  cones  in 
this  section  that  would  seem  commensurate  with  so  large  a  scale  of  oper 
ations,  except  those  above  noted,  though  the  minor  peaks  undoubtedly 
added  much  to  the  general  result. 

The  displacement  of  this  ancient  stream  and  the  subsequent  filling  of 
its  bed  has  opened  a  new  and  rich  field  for  scientific  research. in  this 
State,  but  its  more  direct  and  economical  bearings  are  that  it  affords  an 
equally  new  and  extensive  field  for  the  operations  of  the  placer  miner, 
and  that  thus  far  has  proved  itself  equal  to  that  of  any  range  yet  discov 
ered  in  this  country.  Besides  being  equally  abundant  in  its  produce  of 
gold  as  far  as  opened,  with  the  best  placers  of  the  State,  it  possesses  the 
advantage  of  being  the  most  extensive  of  any  one  system  which  has  yet 
been  found.  The  peculiarities  which  characterize  this  formation  and 
which  distinguishes  it  from  all  others  in  the  State,  are  the  following : — 
the  boulders  found  throughout  its  entire  extent  are  very  uniform -in  their 
characters,  and  are  composed  of  quartz  exclusively,  (or  nearly  so)  this 
has  a  bluish- watery  color  in  the  mass,  highly  trans  lucent  and  vitreous 
when  fractured,  constituting  ninety-seven  per  cent,  of  all  the  stones  found 
in^lie  deeper  diggings,  they  are  invested  by  a  dull  but  deep  blue  earthy 


Doc.  No.  !).]  63 

material  highly  charged  with  pyrites,  which  in  most  cases  is  «s  firm  as 
the  rocks  themselves,  making  it  extremely  laborious  and  difficult  in 
driving  shafts  or  adits.  The  gold  is  contained  in  this  matrix  for  a  dis 
tance  of  six  or  eight  feet  above  the  "bed-rock,"  and  resting  directly  on 
the  latter,  it  is  coarse  and  generally  rough,  and  its  external  appearance 
is  that  of  a  poor  quality,  thougLdt  assays  high  and  brings  the  first  prices ; 
its  pale  and  dirty  appearance  is  due  to  a  small  quantity  of  arsenical 
pyrites  which  adheres  to  its  surface  and  which  is  found  in  considerable 
quantities  in  the  matrix  containing  the  gold. 

The  underlying  rocks  are  serpentine  and  talcose  slates ;  on  Oregon 
Creek  they  are  found  to  contain  small  veins  of  mundic  (arsenical  pyrites) 
one  or  two  inches  in  thickness,  this  has  a  clear  and  lively  grayish- w^hite 
color,  when  recently  fractured,  but  soon  tarnishes  on  exposure,  becoming 
a  dirty  lead  gray,  and  even  quite  dark ;  this  mineral  is  rich  in  gold,  it  is 
difficult  to  find  a  small  piece  that  does  not  present  this  metal  to  the 
naked  eye  on  some  part  of  its  sufface. 

The  mineral  was  first  observed  in  the,  Johnson  Shaft,  half  a  mile  north 
of  the  town  of  Yumanna,  and  occurs  at  a  depth  of  fifty  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  creek,  at  the  edge  of  which  the  shaft  was  driven,  the  strike 
of  these  veins  was  north-west  by  west,  and  is  found  on  both  sides  of  the 
stream  on  that  line.  There  were  four  other  shafts  in  this  vicinity  in 
which  the  mundic  was  found  under  the  same  circumstances ;  and  there 
can  be  scarcely  a  question  but  that  it  exists  in  true  veins  among  the 
serpentine  rocks  throughout  this  part  of  the  country.  These  veins  have 
been  found  to  penetrate  the  rocks  in  which  they  occur  to  the  depth  of 
six  feet  from  the  surface,  and  should  it  ultimately  be  found  that  the 
area  is  in  any  way  considerable  through  which  they,  run,  .they  offer  suf 
ficient  inducement  to  erect  works  for  the  reduction  of  this  ore. 

The  blue  color  of  the  drift  in  this  range  has  been  found  to  pervade  all 
parts  of  this  peculiar  deposit  wherever  it  occurs,  its  boulders  maintain 
their  character  and  per  centage,  its  extent  over  so  large  a  district,  its 
dissimilarity  in  these  respects  with  all  other  placers  vet  known,  has  sug 
gested  the  propriety  of  adopting  a  name  which  shall  at  once  seperate  it 
from  other  sections,  in  order  to  designate  more  particularly  its  course 
and  extent  in  the  future ;  by  this  means  we  shall  in  a  short  time  be  able 
to  acquire  additional  information  relative  to  its  extent  that  we  do  not 
now  possess,  and  as  its  developements  at  the  present  time  are  of  so  flat 
tering  a  nature,  that  any  information  of  its  present  undiscovered  boun 
daries,  would  add  but  another  link  to  the  great  chain  of  our  mineral 
resources,  equally  as  important  and  productive  as  the  best  now  known. 

I  would,  therefore,  suggest,  that  tjie  term  "  Eastern  Blue  Range"  be 
applied  to  this  district  ;  this  will  separate  it  from  tho*  lower  down,  hav 
ing  the  same  color,  but  not  possessing  any  one  of  its  other  peculiarities. 

To  define  more  particularly  the  position  of  this  formation,  both  geo 
graphically  and  geologically,  we  will  follow  more  particularly  the  out 
line  of  the  ancient  stream,  and  some  few  of  the  localities  now  situated 
upon  it.  On  the  south  fork  of  Feather  River,  opposite  to  Sailor  Bar, 
and  east  of  this  locality  for  three  miles  it  is  found  in  fche  form  of  small 
flats  on  the  sides-  of  hills  declining  to  the  east ;  passing  to  the  south,it  is 
met  with  a  short  distance  from  Goody e'arfe  Bar,  again  at  Yumanna,  on 
Oregon  Creek,  still  farther  south  at  Minesota,  at  Chipseg's,  Smith's  and 


64  [APPENDIX 

Kanaka  Flats  ;  crossing  the  Middle  Yuba,  it  is  found  at  Orleans  Flat, 
Moore's  Flat,  New  Flats,  thence  across  the  south  Yuba,  by  the  towns  of 
Eureka,  Washington,  and  Poor  Man's  Creek,  and  at  Mule  Springs.  This 
vicinity  has  presented  an  area  of  nine  miles  in  which  this  formation  has 
been  found.  Crossing  Bear  River,  it  is  again  met  at  each  side  of  the 
American  Forks,  and  is  particularly  well  developed  in  the  vicinity  of 
Sarahsville,  extending  from  thence  to  Georgetown.  South  of  this,  but 
very  little  is  known  of  its  location. 

Within  the  extremes  of  north  and  south  named  above,  the  banks  of 
an  ancient  stream  are  distinctly  marked  out,  and  can  be  as  easily  traced 
as  if  the  waters  were  still  flowing  in  their  original  bed.  It  must  have 
existed  at  a  date  when  the  adjacent  country  maintained  a  much  less  ele 
vation  than  that  now  existing  ;  this  is  proven  from  the  fact  that,  even  at 
this  time  a  terraced  form  is  observable  in  many  places,  in 'each  of  which 
the  same  peculiarities  aboiind.  The  organic  matters  deposited  are  per 
fect  in  their  forms,  the  most  delicate  parts  of  leaves  are  truthfully  pre 
served  to  nature  ;  the  material  in  which  they  are  imbedded  is  that 
usually  found  suspended  in  waters  that  were  but  slightly  disturbed,  and 
when  disintegrated  yields  an  almost  impalpable  powder — not  a  pebble, 
nor  even  coarse  sand  is  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  it.  In  fact  every  fea 
ture  that  would  indicate  a  quiet  state  of  waters  is  fulfilled  in  the  section 
under  consideration.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  the  leaves  and  other  ten 
der  parts  of  plants  would  have  exhibited  a  different  appearance  from 
that  they  now  present. 

The  remains  of  plants  found  in  these  localities  are  extinct  on  this  part 
of  the  coast  at  the  present  date,  the  fruit,  leaf,  and  structure  of  the  sap- 
vessels,  differ  from  those  of  every  other  section  of  the  country,  either 
fossil  or  living.  I  have  been  enabled  to  obtain  six  varieties  of  leaves, 
and  two  varieties  of  fruits,  which  will  be  described  as  soon  as  opportuni 
ty  &|iall  offer.  The  depth  at  which  these  specimens  were  obtained  from 
the  surface  was  one  hundred  seventy  feet,  and  near  the  end  of  an  adit 
whose  length  was  five  hundred  eighty  feet,  the  principal  bed  was  found 
in  the  Arcana  Tunnel,  at  the  town  of  Minesota. 

The  position  of  this  formation  has  been  stated  in  the  preceding  pages, 
to  be  below  the  tertiary  groups  and  diluvial  drift  of  the  other  placers. 
It  will  be  unnecessary  to  roam  over  the  entire  State  to  illustrate  or  prove 
this  point,  as  we  have  an  adjacent  district  where  both  may  be  studied 
with  ease  and  facility  in  an  hour's  ride  between  them.  This  locality  is 
.found  at  Chipseg's  arid  Smith's  Flats,  about  midway  between  Minesota 
and  Oregon  Creek.  The  ^different  formations  will  be  given  as  they  occur 
at  Smith's  Flat  and  Minesota,  which  will  fully  illustrate  the  existing  dif 
ferences 

A_t  Minesota  we  find  the  following  in  the  descending  order  :  First, 
volcanic  tufa  ;  second,  diluvial  drift,  -containing  no  gold  and  having  a 
depth  of  seventy  feet ;  below  this  is  found  a  bed  of  clay  and  imperfectly 
formed  slates  beneath  which  a  boulder  formation  of  thirty-eight  feet 
composed  almost  exclusively  of  quartz  ;  succeeding  this  the  formation 
in  question,  containing  tne  silicified  woods,  and  leaves  and  fruits,  the  lat 
ter  in  the  form  of  lignites,  and  in  abundance.  Following  a  direct  line 
from  this  locality  to  Smith's  Flat  and  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  from 
the  latter  we  meet  an  outcrop  of  the  slates,  above  these  slates  the  drift 


Doc.  No.  9.]  65 

and  gold  of  this  latter  locality  is  found,  and  contains  petrifactions  of 
present  existing  species  of  plants  and  trees,  which  still  flourish  in  the 
adjoining  neighborhood  ;  among  these  the  pine  and  oak  are  very  prom 
inent.  The  structure  of  these  silicified  woods  are  as  perfectly  delineated 
as  in  the  trees  of  similar  character  growing  above  them.  The  drift  de 
posit  at  this  locality  is  composed  of  every  variety  of  rock  found  in  the 
adjoining  countries,  being  composed  of  trap,  granite,  porphyries  and 
quartz,  forming  no  well  defined  order  of  position. 

The  drift  deposit  of  Minesota  being  almost  exclusively  of  quartz,  such 
as  has  been  described  as  occuring  at  Yumanna,  forms  a  wide  contrast 
with  the  above,  and  beneath  the  boulder  formation  the  lignites,  consist 
ing  of  six  species  none  of  which  are  identical  with  any  living  species,  or 
with  the  deposits  of  the  section  north  of  this  locality.  It  will  be  seen 
from  the  peculiarities  thus  briefly  enumerated  in  relation  to  the  main 
features  of  both  deposits,  the  widely  dissimilar  character  of  the  mine 
rals  composing  both,  their  relative  position,  and  the  difference  in  the 
organic  deposits  found  in  both,  there  is  sufficient  reason  for  assigning  to 
each  a  different  age. 

How  correct  this  conclusion  may  be,  it  yet  remains  to  be  proved,  if 
additional  testimony  is  required ;  and  this  can  only  be  known  when  this 
particular  section  shall  have  been  more  fully  explored.  Certain  it  is, 
however,  that  its  present  appearance  favors  this  classification ;  and  should 
it  prove  as  productive  in  its  auriferous  deposits  as  the  partial  explora 
tions  upon  it  now  indicate,  the  amount  of  gold  which  it  capable  of  pro 
ducing  would  be  unequalled  in  any  district  heretofore  or  at  present 
known.  There  is  not  an  instance  known,  where  the  lead  in  this  range 
has  been  found,  but  that  large  sums  of  gold  have  been  the  result ;  this 
might  be  saying  more,  perhaps,  than  prudence  would  dictate,  but  such 
are  the  facts  in  the  case,  let  opinion  be*  what  .they  may. 


QUAKTZ  MINING. 

For  two  years  past  this  branch  of  industry  has  engrossed  much  of 
public  attention,  and  speculation  on  the  future  success  and  prospects  of 
these  mines  has  been  as  diversified  and  fluctuating  as  upon  any  subject 
ever  presented  to  public  consideration ;  this  has  resulted  from  an  incor 
rect  appreciation  of  their  intrinsic  value,  and  want  of  information  res 
pecting  their  position,  geologically  considered,  coupled  with  disappoint 
ments  resulting  in  too  high  anticipations  of  abundant  products  from  these 
sources  in  too  short  periods  of  time ;  the  hasty  and  inconsiderate  man 
ner  in  which  persons  entered  into  these  speculations  in  the  country  here 
tofore,  and  the  natural  results  which  must  necessarily  flow  from  such  a 
course  of  action,  has  had  the  effect  to  cast  a  shadow  of  doubt  for  the 
time  being,  on  the  future  prospects  of  these  sources  of  wealth,  while  the 
pecuniary  losses  that  followed  in  the  the  train  of  these  causes  were  con 
strued  by  alarmists  abroad  as  indexes  of  certain  failure,  and  thus  ren 
dered  ike  doubt  that  existed  an  apparent  certainty. 

All  this  however,  has  had  a  beneficial  effect  in  its  ultimate  results,  by 
checking  that  abnormal  cause  of  action  incident  to  the  first  outbreak  of 
all  speculative  movements  of  this  kind.  Had  that  cool  discretion  and 

9 


66  [APPENDIX 

judgment  which  has  marked  the  subsequent  career  of  these  undertak 
ings — that  firm  determination  to  surmount  all  natural  obstacles  and  test 
the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  claim  advanced  of  the  value  of  these  veins, 
been  practiced  in  the  earlier  stages  of  quartz  mining,  we  should  have 
been  spared  the  disagreeable  task  of  chronicling  adversity  and  pseudo- 
failures  in  a  legitimate  and  profitable  branch  of  employment,  thus  sav 
ing  this  one-  of  the  grand  levers  of  our  commercial  prosperity  the  odium 
that  has  heretofore  attached  to  it  and  is  still  persistent  in  the  minds  of 
some  abroad. 

Aided  by  the  discrepant  and  in  many  cases  malicious  reports  from  our 
own  hills,  the  savans  of  the  Atlantic  States  and  Europe  reiterated  the 
howl,  and  the  public  of  those  distant  shores  were  nightly  harrangued  in 
the  lecture-room,  and  popular  assemblies,  on  the  utter  impossibility  of 
the  auriferous  veins  of  this  country  proving  to  be  more  than,  a  mere  ephemeral 
show,  and  unworthy  the  confidence  of  reflecting  minds.  Their  gratui 
tous  expressions  and  unfavorable  opinions,  are  now  proved  from  the  sub 
sequent  explorations  which  have  been  conducted  on  these  veins,  to  be 
equally  unfounded  as  were  the  arguments  made  use  of  by  these  men  to 
convince  their  listening  audiences  of  the  supposed  facts  they  so  learnedly 
put  forth ;  and  our  citizens  engaged  in  these  pursuits  of  industry  have 
labored  on,  temporarily  affected  only  by  the  confusion  of  opinions  and 
anathemas  issued  from  the  portals  of  science,  against  this  great  interest 
of  the  State,  and  have  borne  the  testimony  triumphantly  to  the  world 
that  science  unattended  by  personal  experience  will  render  him  who  uses 
it  far  more  notorious  than  popular  or  reliable. 

Notwitstanding  the  disadvantages  of  a  manufactured  public  opinion 
with  which  this  branch  of  industry  has  been  obliged  to  contend,  and  the 
serious  obstacles  which  have  thus  been  presented  to  its  progress,  it  has 
now  become  one  of  the  permanent  employments  of  the  State,  and  should 
it  meet  with  no  other  impediments  than  those  which  are  the  resultants  of 
nature,  it  will  obtain  a  position  second  to  none,  within  the  next  two 
years. 

The  permanency  of  their  character  would  scarcely  have  been  demon 
strated  in  the  short  period  of  time  in  which  it  has  occurred,  in  any  other 
country  or  State  except  this,  and  is  in  true  keeping  with  the  firmness  of 
purpose  manifested  in  every  great  undertaking  by  the  citizens  of  this 
State,  and  is  but  another  mark  of  that  indomitable  perseverance  in  over 
coming  difficulties  either  natural  or  artificial,  that  stand  in  the  path  of 
their  advancement,  for  which  they  have  become  peculiarly  characterized 
and  proverbial. 

The  popular  belief  that  the  gold  mines  of  this  State,  and  the  opera 
tions  conducted  upon  them  heretofore  has  been  suspended,  with  the  ex 
ception  perhaps  of  a  few  isolated  cases  scattered  through  the  country, 
and  that  they  hold  but  a  forced  existence  for  speculative  puposes,  de 
signed  ultimately  to  be  the  means  of  conducting  swindling  operations 
on  a  large  scale  abroad,  is  as  base  as  it  is  unfounded ;  those  feelings  and 
ideas  find  a  haven  in  the  breasts  of  a  few  only,  who  from  their  position 
commercially  have  been  the  means  of  propagating  this  erroneous  and 
unjust  opinion  in  relation  to  this  subject.  The  embittered  feelings  of 
such  persons,  which  have  had  their  origin  in  disappointed  hopes  arising 
from  too  hasty  conclusions  respecting  the  productiveness  of  thoge  oper- 


Doc.  No.  9.]  6? 

ations  in  which  they  were  individually  interested,  and  which  in  nearly 
every  case  was  caused  by  inadequacy  of  means  and  mismanagement  of 
their  operations,  is  no  criterion  whereby  to  form  an  opinion  that  would 
be  just  or  reasonable,  with  reference  to  these  metallic  veins,  and  those  in 
this  country  who  would  still  propagate  those  opinions,  do  so  in  the  face 
of  every  evidence  to  the  contrary  which  reason  or  sober  judgment  would 
demand  or  can  be  found  in  this  or  any  other  country. 

With  these  preliminary  remarks  on  the  general  impressions  at  home 
and  abroad,  respecting  their  theoretic  value,  founded  as  they  are  on  pre 
sumption  rather  than  evidence,  we  shall  proceed  to  consider  the  geolog 
ical  position  which  the  quartz  veins  of  this  State  hold  to  the  rocks  with 
which  .they  are  found  in  connection,  hoping  thereby  to  elucidate  more 
clearly  their  present  as  well  as  prospective  value. 


QUAKTZ  VEINS  AND   THEIR   RELATIVE  AGES   IN   CALI 
FORNIA. 

The  quartz  veins  of  this  State  are" found  distributed  in  nearly  parallel 
lines  throughout  the  west  flank  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  consist  of 
three  distinct  lines  separated  by  intervals  ranging  from  four  to  eleven 
miles ;  as  these  divisions  are  found  in  nature  they  constitute  what  may 
be  denominated  the  principal  or  main  ranges.  Between  these  are  to  be' 
found  smaller  lines  of  these  rocks  at  times  running  parallel  with  the 
former,  at  others  having  strikes  more  or  less  oblique^  and  even  at  right 
angles  in  some  instances  with,  the  principal  veins. 

From  the  peculiar  distribution  of  these  rocks,  as.  relates  to  their  con 
nection  and  position  with  the  formations  in  which  they  are  found,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  refer  them  all  to  the  same  age ;  this  would  be  man 
ifest  only  by  observing  the  different  sections  in  which  they  occur.  They 
will  therefore  be  designated,  in  this  report  as  the  Older  and  Recent  groups, 
in  order  to  better  describe  the  peculiarities  that  may  be  found  in  both, 
and  with  reference  also  to  the  age  of  the  rocks  which  they  have  been  the 
apparent  cause  of  disturbing. 


OLDER  GROUP. 

The  eastern  and  also  a  part  of  what  may  be  termed  the  central  line 
of  dikSs  are  included  under  this  head.  This  group  is  found  to  have  in 
truded  itself  through  the  primitive  formations  only,  or  through  the  tra- 
pean  rocks  which  immediately  succeed  the  primitive.  The  principal 
rocks  which  appear  to  have  suffered  the  greatest  amount  of  local  dis 
turbance  and  .dislocation  from  these  quartz  veins,  have  been  the  granite 
serpentine  and  the  earlier  trapean  rocks,  which  appear  to  under-lie  both 
the  former.  The  veins  or  dikes  that  occur  in  the  primitive  series  are 
usually  much  more  massive  than  those  of  a  later  period,  and  are  not 
distributed  over  so  wide  an  area,  or  possess  so  great  a  number  of  lateral 
veins,  or  cross-courses  incident  to  the  more  recent  group  of  these  rocks. 

The  mineral  characteristics  of  the  Older  Group  are  more  uniform 
and  regular  so  far  as  known,  and  are  found  to  possess  a  firmness  of 


68  [APPENDIX 

texture,  where  they  enter  the  greenstone,  much  greater  than  those  of 
recent  date.  It  is  seldom  found  that  this  suite  of  veins  has  cut  through 
or  in  any  way  disturbed  the  slates  wljich  rest  on  the  granite,  even  when 
the  latter  are  in  (the  immediate  neighborhood ;  less  rare  is  it  to  find 
them  cut  through  by  the  older  group  ;  that  in  a  line  of  travel  over  two 
hundred  miles  in  length  that  I  have  seen  but  two  instances  in  the  east 
ern  range  of  veins,  and  it  is  even  questionable  whether  this  dike  be 
longed  strictly  to  the  older  group. 

The  effect  of  these  veins  on  the  rocks  which  they  pass  through,  has 
been  to  disorganize  their  structure  to  a  considerable  extent,  which  has 
rendered  the  decomposition  of  both  more  rapid  and  complete,  hence  it 
frequently  happens  that  rich  deposits  of  metal  are  found  -in  such  places, 
and  usually  occur  near  the  point  of  contact  of  both  series  of  rocks.  The 
older  group  is  found  to  extend  from  near  the  summit  ridge  of  the  moun 
tains  to  a  distance  of  about  forty  miles  toward  the  west,  and  constitute 
nearly  six-eights  (6-8)  of  all  the  veins  found  within  this  line  of  distance, 
and  on  these  are  located  the  greatest  proportion  of  all  the  mines  at  pre 
sent  in  operation. 

In  that  portion  of  the  country  lying  north  of  the  Cosumnes  River 
and  ranging  thirty  miles  east  of  the  Yalley  Sacramento,  the  central  line 
of  dikes  belonging  to  the  older  group,  are  found,  their  western  edge 
passes  through  the  counties  of  El  Dorado,  Placer,  Nevada,  Bu'tte  and 
Shasta,  and  as  far  north  as  the  Mt.  Shata  hills  to  the  east  of  the  peak. 
It  is  well  developed  in  the  counties  of  El  Dorado,  Placer  and  Nevada, 
and  in  one  locality  in  the  county  of  Yuba,  a  short  distance  above  Scott's 
Ferry.  In  these  latter  counties  the  more  recent  group  is  also  found,  and 
in  the  county  of  Nevada  it  is  seen  to  have  disturbed  the  older  groups  in 
some  localities,  and  in  Placer  county,  where  both  have  features  in  com 
mon  which  will  be  noticed  more  particularly  when  treating  of  the  Eecent 
group. 

•  To  localize  the  upper  and  older  group-  of  these  veins,  a  few  localities 
will  be  given  for  the  purpose  of  familiarizing  their  geographical  positions ; 
in  Nevada  county  it  is  met  with,  at  the  National  vein,  also  at  German 
Bar,  at  the  Ariel  Mine  in  Sierra  county,  and  the  Jamison  Creek  mines 
in  Butte  county  ;  on  the  American  forks  at  the  Volcano  mine,  El  Dorado 
county;  Leake  Vein,  Calaveras  county;  Big  Oak  Flat,  and  Marble 
Springs,  Tuolumne  county. 

These  localities  are  situated  far  into  the  mountains,  and  are  situated  on 
the  eastern  part  of  this  line  of  dikes,  and  upon  those  parts  of  it  where 
it  is  most  largely  developed,  becoming  an  extended  and  well  defined  con 
tinuous  range. 

Keturning  to  the  middle  or  central  range  of  dikes,  at  the  distance  of 
thirty  miles  from  the  valley,  and  travelling  south  we  find  that  immedi 
ately  after  crossing  the  Consumnes,  the  granitic  rocks  that  have  hereto 
fore  been  found  associated  with  this  range  of  veins  further  north  begin 
to  disappear  in  a  gradual  manner,  and  the  prevailing  rocks  are  talcose, 
to  the  exclusion  of  almost  every  other  of  the  primitive  series ;  for  a  dis 
tance  of  about  fifty  miles,  the  quartz  is  found  associated  with  this  or  some 
of  its-  subordinate  members,  the  granitic  rocks  lying  far  to  the  east.  The 
quartz  vein  found  among  the  talcose  series  and  which  appear  of  the  same 
age  as  those  occurring  in  the  grange,  are  equally  uniform  in  the  general 


Doc.  No.  9.]  69 

characteristics  they  present,  so  far  as  relates  to  their  mineral  constituents, 
but  there  is  one  remarkable  feature  attending  them  here  (as  also  to  the 
north  in  a  few  instances,)  which  is  not  common  to  the  granitic  associa 
tions  of  these  rocks,  viz  :  the  depth  to  which  the  vein  is  decomposed  from 
the  surface  down,  will  not  exceed  more  than  one-fourth  that  which  will 
be  found  where  the  inverting  rock. is  of  the  granitic  series.  This  pecu 
liar  feature  is  very  striking  in  passing  from  a  "  sett "  situated  in  the  latter 
to  one  located  in  the  former,  and  will  be  found  to  hold  good  even  in  the 
same  neighborhood. 

One  other  feature  is  equally  apparent,  and  at  the  same  time  important 
in  connection  with  this,  which  is,  that  while  those  veins  present  the  con 
trast  above  noted,  the  "setts"  occuring  in  the  serpentive  series  which 
have  been  unaffected  by  the  cause  producing  such  extensive  decomposi 
tion  as  is  found  among  the  granite  rocks,  do  not  possess  a  texture  so  firm 
and  coherent  as  the  veins  found  in  the  northern  sections,  such  veins  will 
be  worked  with  a  less  amount  of  labor  and  capital  producing  an  equal 
amount  of  ore. 

There  is  nothing  to  distingu^s^  the  veins  of  this  section  from  being  of 
the  same  age  with  those  at  the  north,  and  running  through  a  similar  range 
of  country,  like  the  veing  of  the  granitic  series  they  do  not  appear  to 
have  disturbed  the  more  recent  formation  of  the  tertiaries,  but  are  con 
fined  exclusively  to  the  primitive  rocks.  Following  a  line  west  toward 
the  valleys,  the  occurrence  of  a  more  recent  group  becomes  manifest,  and 
is  unquestionably  the  equivalent  of  that  alluded  to  as  occurring  through 
out  the  northern  counties. 


RECENT  GEOUP.     , 

This  group  of  these  rocks  is  found  extending  from  the  lowest  foot-hills 
on  the  east  border  of  the  valley r  where  the  first  outcrop  of  the  slates  are 
met,  to  a  distance  of  about  eighteen  miles  to  the  east,  and  after  is  found 
running  into  tfee  western  edge  of  the  older  group  ;  their  intrusion  ap 
pears  to  have  formed  one  of  the  principal  and  later  disturbing  agents 
that  has  been  in  action  in  those  periods  of  development  of  that  part  of 
this  country,  immediately  preceding,  and  continuing  into  the  middle 
Eocene  and  Miocene  periods  of  the  tertiary  era. 

Their  altitude  above  the  sea  is  variable,  from  one  hundred  to  fifteen 
hundred  feet,  and  some  few  localities  reach  the  height  of  two  thousand. 
One  of  the  features,  which  this  group  presents,  and  which  distinguishes 
it  from  those  of  the  older  group  is,  that  they  have  cut  through  and  dis 
turbed  not  only  the  primitive  formations,  but  every  other  formation 
found  resting  upon  them,  this  occurs  in  almost  every  case  in  which  these 
rocks  are  found.  A  dike  of  this  age  is  often  found  protruding  through 
the  granite  or  some  other  member  of  the  primitive  series,  and  may  be 
traced  frequently  for  one  or  two  miles  before  any  member  of  the  sedi- 
mentry  rocks  are  met  with ;  in  this  case,  the  latter  rocks  will  be  found 
more  or  less  disturbed  at  the  point  of  contact  with  the  vein,  and  it  will 
often  be  found  that  its  passage  from  the  granite  beneath  into  the  slates 
above  is  perfect,  traversing  the  overlying  rocl^  through  a  great  part  of 
its  length,  and  sending  out  cross  courses  in  every  direction.  A  di-s 


70  [APPENDIX 

turbed  position  is  not  the  only  change  observable  in  these  cases  ;  struc 
tural  change  is  as  often  the  result  of  the  intrusion  among  the  slates  as  the 
appearance  of  the  veins  themselves.  The  above  peculiarities  in  relation 
to  these  views  are  observable  in  every  part  of  the  lower  mining  districts, 
and  an  erroneous  opinion  in  regard  to  the  age  of  the  dike'  under  exami 
nation  may  easily  occur  as  the  part  urider  our  observation  may  be  situated 
either  in  the  primitive  or  sedimentary  rocks. 

A  dike  of  this  character  occurs  in  the  town  of  Centreville,  Placer 
County,  and  extends  in  a  northerly  direction  for  one  and  a  half  miles 
through  granite,  when  it  enters  the  slates,  passing  entirely  through  their 
length  and  again  appearing  in  granite  at  their  northern  extremity ;  an 
other  instance  of  a  similar  character  is  met  with  on  Deer  Creek,  two 
miles  below  Nevada ;  here  the  dike  passes  through  the  trap,  granite  and 
slate,  and  also  at  Newtown  in  the  same  county.  Still  further  north,  in 
the  County  of  Yuba,  a  vein  cuts  both  the  granite  and  slate,  as  in  the 
vicinity  of  Brown's  Valley,'  and  again  on  Dry  Creek ;  in  many  other 
localities  throughout  this  range  of  country,  the  same  features  are  to  be 
found,  and  our  opinion  on  the  comparative  ages  of  these  veins,  can  be 
correctly  founded  only  by  a  careful  examination  of  the  entire  length  of . 
the  vein. 

On  the  same  range  of  hills,  this  group  is  continued  south  as  far  as 
the  Tuolumne  River,  and  includes  the  district  on  which  some  of  the 
principal  companies  of  the  southern  counties  are  located.  It  frequently 
happens  that  the  veins  of' this  group  are  composed,  of  a  perfect  net-work 
of  small  threads  and  veins,  varying  in  power  from  one  inch  to  one  foot. 
This  peculiarity  is  admirably  exemplified  at  Angel's  Camp  in  Calaveras 
County,  at  this  locality  and  for  miles  around  these  small  "hilos"  con 
stitute  a  large  part,  of  tiie  rich  veins  of  this  section,  while  at  the  distance 
of  four  miles  to  the  south,  it  again  appears  as  a  .  mammoth  dike,  popu 
larly  known  as  the  "Great  Carson  Hill  Vein,"  which  extends  southerly 
to  the  Stanislaus  River. 

From  this  point  a  line  of  large  dikes  interrupted  at  inte^rvals  continue 
in  a  southeast  direction  for  sixty  miles,  passing  through  Campo  Seco, 
Coulteryille,  Bear  Valley,  and  thence  to  Mi  Ophir;  throughout  this 
entire  distance  they  are  found  to  cut  through  all  other  volcanic  rocks, 
with  perhaps  one  or  two  exceptions ;  the  lasaltic  rocks  in  some  parts  of 
the  southern  counties  bear  evidence  of  displacement  by  these  intrusions, 
and  I  know  of  but  two  cases  in  which  the  latter  intrusions  have  thrown 
these  veins,  and  in  these  cases  it  is  not  yet  fully  determined  whether 
this  be  the  fact.  It  is  on  the  west  flanks  of  the  hills  in.  which  the  dikes 
of  the  recent  group  of  quartz  appears,  that  the  features  which  mark 
their  age  are  more  particularly  noticeable ;  here  the  slates  (and  in  the 
foothills,  the  sandstone)  present  all  the  varied  changes  of  position  and 
structure,  noticed  by  different  writers  on  the  physical  features  incident 
to  the  mountain  districts  of  California — at  one  time  dipping  east  at  an 
other  west,  and  again  half  inverted,  in  the  multifarious  disturbances  to 
which  they  have  been  subjected. 

The  greatest  amount  of  displacement  in  the  sedimentary  rocks  is 
always  found  in  the  closest  proximity  to  the  veins  in  their  immediate 
vicinity,  and  although  a  ¥e*tical  position  only  may  be  given  in  many 
instances,  yet  this  is  found  to  become  less  as  you  recede  from  the  vein 


Doc.  No.  9.]  71 

on  either  hand  transversely  to  its  line  of  strike ;  it  is  not  unfrecyient  that 
the  high  angle  of  dip  in  the  first  instance  will  assnme  a  nearly  horizon 
tal  position  in  the  distance  of  a  mile  from  the  point  of  uplift,  but  the 
next  ridge  will  present  a  re-enactment  of  the  first  case  if  the  rocks  com 
posing  it  are  of  the  same  character. 

The  vertical  position  of  the  slates  is  one  of  those  peculiar  features 
which  attracts  the  attention  of  almost  every  person  passing  to  or  from 
the  interior,  from  their  appearance  resembling  an  old  church-yard  they 
have  been  termed  the  grave-stone  slates,  and  this  distinctive  feature  is 
found  to  pervail  to  the  lower  range  of  foot-hills  toward  the  valley,  as 
well  as  in  the  more  elevated  parts  of  the  mountains ;  this  vertically 
among  the  lower  hills  has  been  urged  as  an  objection  to  the  point  that 
the  intrusion  of  the  quartz  of  either  group,  was  not  the  immediate  cause 
of  that  uplift,  but  that  the  present  inclination  has  been  given  by  causes 
of  a  a  similar  character  which  have  acted  subsequent  to  the  intrusion  of 
the  quartzose  veins. 

This  proposition  seems  invalid  for  this  reason :  if  any  such  agency  as 
that  proposed  had  been  the  immediate  cause  of  producing  the  effects 
which  are  observable  among  the  slates  of  this  section  and  sufficiently 
powerful  to  have  forced  them  into  the  position  they  now  occupy ;  it 
seems  but  reasonable  to  suppose  that  some  portions  of  the  intrusive 
materials  should  make  their  appearance  among  them  ;  but  this  is 
not  the  case,  nor  is  it  necessary  to  introduce  such  a  complication  in  order 
to  explain  the  physical  features  which  are  apparent  in  these  rocks,  as  we 
find  an  agent  distributed  largely  among  them,  which  is  fully  adequate 
to  induce  all  the  changes  of  position  or  structure  noticeable. 

That  we  do  not  find  massive  outcrops  of  these  dikes  among  the  slates 
at  the  edge  of  the  valley,  is  equally  invalid  as  an  objection  against  their 
agency  in  producing  the  disturbances  which  are  cleanly  attributable  to 
their  intrusion  a  few  miles  farther  to  the  east,  for  an  examination  will 
convince  the  unprejudiced  mind  that  the  causes  which  have  been  instru 
mental  in  tilting  the  slates  from  their  former  position  in  the  interior  has 
extended  to  the  eastern  edge  of  valleys  and  produced  the  ruptures  we 
there  witness. 

In  favorable  situations  for  observing  the  intrusive  character  of  the 
recent  group,  as  in  the  canons  through  which  flow  many  of  our  streams 
it  is  there  found  that  the  porphiries  which  lie  superior  to  the  primitive 
rocks,  and  have  had  their  origin  from  contact  with  igneous  rocks  in  an 
incanderescent  state,  as  well  also  as  the  trapean  rocks  adjoining,  are 
broken  through  the  sedimentary  rocks  above  them  which  are  still  un 
changed. 

Another  fact  of  interest,  and  having  an  important  bearing  on  this 
part  of  our  subject  is  found  on  the  west  borders  of  the  great  valleys  and 
in  the  Coast  Mountains.  From  all  the  testimony  in  our  possession  at 
the  present  time  relative  to  the  sedimentary  rocks  which  dip  under .  the 
valleys  of  the  Sacramento  and  San.Joaquin,  we  are  induced  to  believe 
that  those  which  occur  on  the  east  border  are  of  an  age  cotemporaneous 
with  those  on  the  west,  and  in  addition  thereto  a  group  is  found  which 
evidently  belong  to  a  still  later  period.  We  have  in  *these  mountains 
then,  a  corroborative  evidence  that  the  disturbances  produced  by  the 


72  [APPENDIX 

intrusion  of  igneous  rocks  with  which  the  quartz  is  found  in  connection 
has  occurred  during  a  comparatively  recent  period. 

As  these  rocks  have  forced  -their  way  to  the  surface  through  all  the 
species  that  lie  above  them,  they  can  be  considered  in  no  other  light 
than  having  an  age  posterior  to  most  of  the  tertiary  rocks  within  the 
State,  or  the  northern  and  middle  parts  of  it;  and  Cotemporaneous.  at 
least  with  the  lower  portion  of  the'  miocene  period.  Under  these  cir 
cumstances  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  gold  may  be  found  in  San 
Francisco  or  Contra  Costa,  as  the  geological  formations  which  have  de 
veloped  it  east  of  the  great  rivers,  are  found  also  in  the  mountains  to 
the  west,  though  not  to  the  same  extent. 

The  disturbance  £>f  the  recent  sedimentary  rocks  of  the  Coast  Moun 
tains,  and  the  character  of  some  of  the  intruded  masses  that  has  pro 
duced  the  tilting  and  dislocations,  their  identity  with  the  stratified  rocks 
on  the  eastern  border  of  the  great  valleys,  leads  us  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  causes  of  uplift  which  have  been  found  among  the  latter, --were 
continued  partially  to  the  coast  in  the  same  period.  With  respect  to  the 
agents  that  played,  an  important  part  in  these  turbulent  periods,  there 
can  be  but  little  trouble  in  their  discrimination,  and  ample  testimony  is 
found  to  identify  them  with  the  recent  group  of  igneous  rocks  under 
consideration,  and  if  these  conclusions  are  correct,  the  character  for  per 
manency  of  these  viens  is  beyond  all  cavil  or  doubt. 

Future  investigation  may  disprove  this  position,  but  until  it.  is  made 
evident  that  the  veins  of  the  recent  group  have  been  disturbed  by  other 
and  more  recent  vulcanic  agents  on  either  side  of  the  g^reat  rivers,  we 
can  regard  them  in  no-  other  view  than  being  among  the  last  of  an  ex 
tensive  series  of  disturbances  which  have  operated  principally  through 
a  large  portion  of  the  west  flank  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  at  a  comparatively 
recent  period  in  the  geological  history  of  this  part  of  the  continent. 

The  metalliferous  character  of  this  .group  is  in  no  way  inferior  to  that 
of  the  older  ranges  of  these  rocks;  the  proof  of  this  rests  in  the  fact, 
that  some  of  the  best  placers  yet  found  in  this  country  are  included 
within  its  boundaries  among  the  alluvium  and  drift  deposits  of  the  ter 
tiary  epoch.  The  gold  generally  found  in  these  placers  is  of  that  char 
acter  known  among  the  miners  as  "rough  or  recent  gold,"  having 
suffered  but  little  from  attrition  by  water;  but  it  is  not  unfrequent  to 
find  the  recent  metal  associated  with  that  which  has  been  much  worn  by 
attrition,  and  the  two  qualities  thus  appearing  in  the  same  placer  range, 
can  be  regarded  only  as  having  different  orri<rms  and  ages.  It  would 
scarcely  appear  reasonable  to  suppose  that  two  pieces  of  metal  driven 
from  the  same  source  and  subjected  to  the  same  action,  should  present 
smooth  and  rounded  surface  in  the  one,  while  its  fellow  beside  it  shall 
retain  all  its  angularities  as  though  just  detached  from  its  original 
matrix. 

With  reference  to  the  older  group  of  these  veins  there  are  features 
manifest  which  are  both  interesting  and  important,  when  we  consider  the 
immediate  position  of  the  recent  group,  to  those  of  the  older  where  both 
are  found  in  contact.  -It  has  been  remarked  in  the  preceding  pages 
that  the  veins  of*  the  older  series  have  disturbed  the  greenstone  below 
and  the  granite  above  only ;  a  casual  examination  of  the  district  in 
which  these  veins  occur,  would  convey  to  the  observer  an  idea  that  a 


Doc.  No.  9.]  75 

discrepency  in  the  statements  must  exist,  from  the  fact  that  veins  which 
pierce  the  granite  are  found  to  cut  the  stites  also  in  the  same  section. 
As  in  the  case  of  the  Centreville  veins,  these  will  be  found  to  belong  to 
the  more  recent  intrusions  of  these  rocks,  and  wherever  those  features 
occur  the  recent  group  will  be  found  playing  the  part  of  a  disturbing 
agent  on  the  primitive  veins  themselves  and  their  investing  rocks ;  so 
far  as  our  experience  goes  in  judging  of  the  effects  produced  by  these 
recent  intrusions,  their  influence  is  not  an  injurious 'one,  for  the  recent 
dike  has  thus  far  proved  equally  metalliferous  with  the  primitive  setts. 


CHARACTER  AND   POSITIONS  OF  THE  OLDER  VEINS  BE 
LOW  THE  SURFACE. 

Under  this  head  will  be  concluded  all  that  we  have  to  say  upon  the 
subject  of  gold  mining  in  this  State  at  the  present  time,  and  as  the  largest 
proportion  of  the  mines  of  the  State  are  situated  on  the  older  group  of 
the  quartz,  the  remarks  that  follow  will  be  confined  principally  to  that 
serries. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  State,*  the  granite  rocks  in  which  these 
veins  are  situated  upon  the  surface,  have  been  found  to  be  underlied 
with  another  class  of  igneous  rocks,  which,  from  their  nature  and  pre 
sumed  age,  it  was  feared  might  have  so  disturbed  the  "  setts"  as  to 
render  the  successful  prosecution  of  mining  a  doubtful  project,  and  in 
jurious  speculation  from  this  fact,  have  been  indulged  in  to  an  extent 
that  at  one  time  threatened  to  destroy  the  well  merited  confidence  which 
the  discovery  of  these  veins  had  induced  from  the  outset ;  and  for  this 
reason  no  little  degree  of  interest  has  been  manifested  both  at  home  and 
abroad  in  relation  to  their  future  prospects. 

Had  those  speculations  which  have  been  founded  on  presumptive  evi 
dence  only,  been  confined  to  the  sphere  to  which  it  legitimately  belonged, 
and  divested  of  the  over-anxious  fears  expressed  and  manifested  from 
abroad,  the  parties  most  directly  interested  would  have  suffered  less  in 
convenience  by  loss  of  confidence  and  credit,  which  the  voluntary  con 
servators  of  our  good  in  distant  lands  have  been  the  means  of  inducing, 
and  the  public  mind  would  have  been  unbiassed  but  for  the  opinions  of  men 
who  should  have  had  more  discretion  than  to  have  hazarded  their  repu 
tation  on  such  premature  evidences  as  they  must  have  been  possessed  of 
at  that  time. 

it  is  scarcely  a  supposable  case,  that  men  thousands  of  miles  distant 
should  be  found  adequate  to  judge  correctly  of  the  value  of  metaliferous 
districts,  having  never  seen  the  sections  alluded  to,  or  even  before  the 
veins  were  known  by  the  parties  engaged  in  opening  them.  Elaborate 
discussions  based  upon  presumptive  analogy,  may  subserve  the  purpose  of 
pleasing  popular  assemblies,  but  they  will  be  found  untenable  and  useless 
often,  when  applied  to  practiacal  and  systematic  operations. 

Mining  exploration  within  the  past  eighteen  months,  has  added  much 
to  our  information  relative  to  the  position  of  metallic  veins  of  the  State, 
and  the  rocks  with  which  they  are  associated.  The  granite  series  has 

*  North  of  th«  Con»umne»  Rir«r. 

10 


74  [APPENDIX 

been  closely  investigated,  and  in  several  of  the  mines  the  workings  have 
been  carried  entirely  through  this  rock,  and  contrary  to  the  anticipations 
of  the  incredulous,  the  setts  have  not  been  thrown  at -the  point  of  contact 
with  the  inferior  rocks.  Thus  far  the  depth  of  the  granite  series  has 
not  been  found  to  exceed  a  depth  of  but  little  more  than  one  hundred 
feet,  and  in  almost  every  case  where  shafts  have  been  driven,  either  on 
the  vein  or  beside  it,  the  rock  has  been  found  in  a  highly  decomposed 
state,  thus  presenting  but  little  difficulty  in  passing  through  it.  There 
are,  in  some  localities,  many  small  veins  running  out  at  different  angles 
from  the  principal  "  setts,"  into  the  surrounding  granite,  and  when  thus 
appearing  in  the  inverting  rocks,  marks  of  dislocation  are  observable. 
These  interesting  features  define  most  clearly  the  energy  and  extent  of 
the  supporting  and  injecting  forces  from  below,  at  the  date  of  the  intru 
sion  of  the  veins,  and  the  angles  which  the  small  cross-courses  make 
with  the  main  "setts"  from  which  they  emanate,  shows  most  conclusively 
that  the  fracture  o£  the  superincumbent  rocks  must  have  been  extensive. 
Another  and  a  striking  feature  is  also  to  be  observed  in  this  particular, 
which  is,  that  the  small  threads  found  in  the  granite  have  a  greater  power 
whe*n  they  enter  the  greenstone  below  ;  thus  indicating  that  the  intru 
sive  dikes  spent  themselves  principally  in  the  superior  granite  above. 

The 'entire  mass  of  the  granitic  rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  quartz,  is 
of  a  loose  and  incoherent  texture,  from  the  surface  to  the  lowest  point 
yet  reached,  and  when  brought  from  the  greatest  depths 'the  same  gene 
ral  characteristics  are  found  to  prevail  throughout.  It  presents  a  crumb 
ling,  reddish  and  purple  hue,  at  times  faintly  spotted  with  white,  its  fels- 
pathic  constituent  thus  imparting  a  porphyritic  appearance  to  considera 
ble  quantities.  When  damp  it  is  somewhat  clayey,  in  the  dry  state,  after 
exposure  to  the  air,  it  is  easilly  crushed  in  the  hand,  giving  the  greasy 
feeling  of  some  of  the  talcose  minerals.  These  peculiar  features  may  be 
best  examined  in  and  about  the  towns  of  Nevada  and  Grass  Valley  ; 
for  here  they  extend  over  several  miles,  and  the  extent  to  which  mining 
operations  have  been  carried  in  these  sections,  renders  an  examination 
of  all  the  different  phases  that  are  presented  in  this  class  of  veins,  both 
easy  and  convenient. 

Immediately  below  the  granite,  the  greenstone  is  found  underlying 
this  entire  section  of  country,  in  every  instance  in  which  the  granite  has 
been  perforated,  this  rock  has  been  found  beneath,  and  when  first  met 
with  in  descending  is  much  broken  up,  and  the  fissures  filled  with  foreign 
infiltrations  from  above.  The  trap  rock  has  a  blueish-gray  and  greenish 
color,  often  highly  charged  with  pyrites ;  the  veins  on  entering  this  rock 
change  their  color  from  the  deep  reddish-brown,  which  they  maintain  in 
the  granite  above,  and  the  cavities  filled  with  the  peroxide  of  iron  which 
has  resulted  from  the  decomposition  of  the  pyrites  it  originally  contained, 
to  a  clear,  white  or  semi-translucent  mineral,  holding  considerable  quan 
tities  of  cubic  and  rhombic  crystals  of  pyrites,  which  are  more  or  less 
auriferous.  In  some  of  the  trapean  rocks  arsenical  pyrites  is  met  with, 
but  this  latter  is  much  more  common  in  the  southern  districts,  and  on 
the  forks  of  the  American  Eiver. 

In  every  mine  throughout  the  northern  districts,  in  which  the  green 
stone  has  been  reached,  the  veins  have  penetrated  this  rock,  and  in  no  one 
instance  thus  far  is  it  found  that  the  vein  has  either  been  pinched  or  faulted, 


Doc.  No.  9.]  75 

but  the  reverse  is  true,  that  every  sett  has  increased  in  power  the  deeper  they 
descend.  Of  six  companies  now  in  successful  operation  in  Grass  Valley, 
all  of  them  are  obtaining  their  ores  from  the  greenstone,  in  larger  quan- 
tiry  and  better  quality  than  was  found  to  be  the  average  in  the  granite 
above  :  on  Deer  Creek  it  is  the  same,  and  but  two  mines  in  this  district 
still  continue  in  the  granite,  viz : — the  Illinois  and  Gold  Tunnel  mines, 
the  lower  gallery  of  the  latter  is  within  nine  feet  of  the  greenstone,  with 
an  increasing  power  in  the  "  sett"  at  the  point  of  working.  In  the  coun 
ties  of  Butte  and  Shasta,  the  same  fact  prevails,  and  in  each  of  those 
mines,  which  have  entered  the  trap  there  has  been  no  diminution  in  the 
power  of  the  vein  or  qualities  of  the  ore. 

The  depth  to  which  some  of  these  veins  are  found  to  enter  the  green 
stone  has  been  fifty -five  feet,  at  the  present  time,  and  at  this  depth  into 
this  rock  they  bear  all  the  reasonable  evidence  of  continuing  to  an  un 
limited  depth,  and  being  of  more  recent  date  than  their  investing  series. 
The  greenstone  in  close  proximity  to  the  dikes  is  found  much  shattered 
and  disturbed,  exhibiting  evidences  of  displacement  subsequent  to  frac 
ture,  the  inclination  of  the  disturbed  masses  corresponding  to  the  dip  of 
the  vein,  the  line  of  fracture  form  angles  of  fifty  to,  seventy  degrees  to  the 
dip  of  the  "  sett,"  and  as  high  as  forty  in  some  cases  with  the  horizon ;  this 
gives  a  stratified  appearance  to  these  rocks ;  this  peculiar  feature  is  ob- 
serable  at  the  Osborn  Hill  Mine,  and  is  indicated  by  the  heavy  lines  in 
the  sketch  of  its  transverse  section.  At  this  mine  may  also  be  observed 
the  other  peculiarities  before  noticed,  the  highly  decomposed  and  broken, 
character  of  the  upper  part  of  the  greenstone  of  seventeen  feet  below ; 
at  the  Lafayette  and  Helvetia  Mine,  similar  features  are  to  be  observed 
of  the  semi-stratified  appearance  of  the  greenstone,  caused  by  the  intru 
sion  of  the  quartz  dike  through  it ;  the  entire  length  of  the  adit  level 
of  this  mine  is  driven  entirely  through  this  rock  a  distance  of  about 
eleven  hundred  feet. 

On  Deer  Creek,  'five  miles  north  of  Green  Yalley,  we  find  a  material 
change  in  the  relative  position  of  the  metallic  veins  to  the  investing  rocks, 
at  the  Gold  Tunnel,  as  before  remarked,  the  "sett"  is  exclusively  in 
granite,  while  at  the  Wyoming  Mine,  one  and  a  half  miles  below,  the 
4 'sett"  is  situated  in  the  greenstone  inferiorly  and  the  slate  above,  while 
in  the  adjacent  mine  above  the  Wyoming,  slate  and  granite  in  the  middle 
and  greenstone  below  is  the  order  of  arrangement.  At  this  mine  may 
be  observed  one  of  those  interesting  features  noticed  in  the  concluding 
paragraphs  of  the  Recent  Group,  and  when  we  compare  the  accompany 
ing  sketches  of  the  Osborn  Hill  and  Wyoming,  a  sufficient  illustration 
of  the  relative  ages  of  the  group  will  appear.  The  present  working 
"sett"  of  the  latter  mine  is  protruded  through  the  primitive  rocks,  and 
also  through  the  slate  above  them,  and  from  its  dip  it  must  pass  through 
older  veins  at  a  depth  probably  not  exceeding  four  hundred  feet  below 
their  present  level.  The  slate  which  lies  superior  in  this  mine  is  evidently 
of  the  same  age  as  that  occurring  among  the  foot-hills  toward  the  valley, 
and  as  the  sketch  of  this  mine  illustrates,  the  vein  passes  entirely  through 
them ;  the  dip  of  this  vein  is  forty-three  degrees  east,  while  those  of  the 
adjacent  mine  above  varies  from  thirty -two  to  thirty-e;ght  degrees.  It 
is  not  surprising  that  a  recent  "sett"  in  passing  thro  ugh  the  cross-course 
of  an  older  vein,  or  through  a  part  of  a  primitive  vein,  should  "produce 


76  [APPENDIX 

valuable  deposits  of  metal  which  has  taken  place  in  this  mine  in  several 
instances,  and  it  serves  for  an  illustration  of  the  principle  advanced  in 
the  preceeding  pages,  that  the  recent  veins  were  equally  metalliferous 
with  those  of  the  primitive  series,  wherever  and  whenever  found  in  this 
State. 

From  the  facts  thus  far  presented  to  your  consideration  respecting  the 
known  position  of  these  rocks  in  the  .northern  part  of  the  State,  some 
evidence  at  least  exists,  that  those  veins  thus  far  opened^are  now  proved 
to  have  cut  through  that  suite  of  igneous  rocks  which  heretofore  have 
been  supposed  would  destroy  their  continuity  to  any  considerable  depth 
below  the  surface.  Already  has  the  establishment  of  this  point  exerted 
an  influence  which  is  beginning  to  be  strongly  felt,  and  is  restoring  that 
confidence  in  gold  mining  which  it  long  since  lost.  More  capital  has 
been  invested  within  the  preceding  four  months  in  this  branch  of  em 
ployment,  than*in  the  entire  time  which  has  elapsed  since  the  general 
suspension  of  these  operations.  From  the  developments  which  have 
been  made  relating  to  the  permanency  of  their  character  within  the  past 
year,  individuals  are  fast  becoming  satisfied  that  the  metallic  veins  of 
this  State  merit  that  confidence  which  is  fast  returning.  If  other  testi 
mony  is  required  than  that  already  cited  of  the  almost  certainty  of  their 
continuation  to  unlimited  depths,  it  will  become  necessary  to  search  out 
some  other  formations  than  those  acknowledged  to  be  the  foundation  on 
which  rest  the  superstructure  of  this  teraqueous  sphere,  for  it  is  evi 
dent  if  facts  have  any  weight,  that  they  have  disturbed  the  lowest  of  all 
known  rocks. 

It  may  be  argued  that  the  shallow  depth,  fifty  feet  into  the  greenstone, 
is  not  positive,  but  that  these  veins  may  be  faulted  by  more  recent  vol 
canic  intrusions  below  this  point.  This  is  possibly  true,  but  at  the  same 
time,  is  there  any  good  reason  for  such  a  supposition  when  no  evidence 
of  such  disturbances  are  observable  above  the  surface  in  their  vicinity, 
and  when  those  intrusive  rocks  are  not  to  be  found  to  depths  of  two  or 
three  thousand  feet  below  the  summits  of  those  ridges  on  which  these 
mines  are  located  in  many  instances.  There  are  many  deep  gorges 
among  our  mountains  which  exhibit  the  character  of  the  rocks  compos 
ing  them  to  the  depths  above  named,  and  on  examination  of  their  struc 
ture  will  convince  an  unbiassed  observer  of  their  primitive  character. 
Among  these  gorges  it  is  not  unfrequent  to  find  the  quartz  veins  ex 
tending  from  their  bottom  to  various  hights,  ranging  as  high  as  six 
hundred  feet  in  every  instance  in  which  these  veins  are  met  among  the 
rocks  in  situ.  They  possess  their  greatest  power  at  their  lowest  point  In 
one  instance  I  well  remember  having  traced  a  dike  of  this  rock  from 
the  river  to  the  highth  of  thirteen  hundred  feet,  a  drawing  of  which  is 
still  in  my  possession;  the  usitt"  thinned  out  to  small  threads  at  this 
hight,  with  a  diminishing  power  from  the  base  of  the  hill  to,  the  sum 
mit;  this  vein  passes  through  greenstone  and  porphyry,  granite  and 
slate,  successively,  until  it  finally  spent  itself  among  the  latter.  If 
intrusive  dikes  are  found  to  increase  in  power  as  their  distance  below 
the  surface  increases,  we  may  reasonably  conclude  that  they  may  con 
tinue  to  a  depth  below,  equal  to  that  which  may  be  found  above,  in  a 
case  like  the  last  one  cited,  provided  the  rocks  beneath  the  lowest  point 
at  which  it  is  observable  continue  of  the  same,  character. 


Doc.  No.  9.]  77 

Abundant  examples  of  this  character  are  to  be  met  with  throughout 
our  mountains,  and  with  such  evidence  before  us,  the  character  of  these 
metallic  veins  for  permanency  must  be  placed  beyond  suspicion  or 
doubt,  and  our  testimony  on  this  point  extends  much  beyond  any  that 
has,  as  yet,  been  adduced.  In  the  County  of  Calaveras,  an  extensive 
dike,  two  miles  in  length,  has  been  laid  open  in  such  a  manner  that  a 
vertical  depth  of  eight  hundred  feet -of  the  vein  is  now,  exposed  to  view. 

The  dike  cuts  through  two  ridges,  which  separate  two  streams  of  water, 
and  the  companies  located  on  these  streams  have  sunk  their  shafts  to  the 
depth  of  over  one  hundred  feet,  directly  under  the  beds  of  the  creeks, 
and  have  driven  their  gallery s  each  way  untill  within  a  few  feet  of  each 
other :  the  vein  in  one  shaft  has  a  power  of  thirty-seven  feet,  but  in  no 
point  011  the  "sett"  is  it  less  than  five,  in  each  of  the  five  mines  located  on 
this  vein,  the  power  of  the  "sett"  has  uniformly  increased  the  deeper 
they  have  descended.  In  this  case  we  have  a  thorough  examination  of 
one,  at  least,  of  our  metallic  veins,  which  will  compare  with  some  of  the 
operations  in  other  countries,  and  we  may  deduce  some  safe  conclusions 
respecting  their  probable  stability,  if  depth  below  the  surface  becomes 
an  essential  requisite  to  establiso  that  point. 

The  rocks  through  which  these  veins  pass  are  principally  of  the 
talcose  series,  with  greenstone,  hornblende  schists,  and  syenite,  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  ;  the  dikes  have  cut  through  all  of  them  in  succession 
without  having  suffered  any  deflection  from  that  parallelism  which  must 
have  ensued,  if  any  of  the  rocks  with  which  they  are  found  in  contact, 
had  an  age  posterior  to  the  dikes  themselves.  This  district  is  particu 
larly  noticed  in  connection  with  this  part  of  our  subject,  for  the  purpose 
of  exhibiting  the  stronger  probability  of  permanency  in  the  quartz  veins 
of  ihis  country,  for  the  reason  that  if  disturbance  in  their  position  is 
likely  to  ensue  in  any  part  of  this  State,  it  would  be  likely  to  occur  in 
these  sections,  as  the  effects  of  recent  volcanic  action  is  more  prominent 
throughout  the  southern  portions  of  the  mining  districts  than  any  other 
part  of  the  west  flank  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

From  what  testimony  we  have  in  our  possession  relative  to  these  veins, 
it  seems  but  reasonable  to  conclude  that  their  integrity  is  perfect,  or  as 
nearly  so  as  can  be  reasonably  expected  considering  the  short  period 
which  has  been  employed  in  developing  their  true  character,  and  that 
the  confidence  which  they  formerly  possessed  was  well  grounded ;  all 
subsequent  examinations  have  only  tended  to  confirm  this  belief  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  have  carefully  and  diligently  studied  this  subject. 
The  present  condition  of  our  gold  mines,  their  flourishing  state  and 
prospective  value,  based  on  facts  as  now  developed,  most  clearly  indicate 
their  importance,  as  an  industrial  pursuit  and  one  destined  ere  long  to 
form  one  of  the  leading  interests  in  the  economy  of  the  State  ;  and  as 
such  it  would  seem  that  all  prudent  measures  to  develop  farther  their 
extent  and  value,  and  place  them  upon  that  footing  before  the  world 
which  that  value  and  importance  demands  should  be  used,  either  through 
the  State  or  General  (rovernment,  and  through  them  promote  such 
measures  as  will  prove  an  inducement  to  more  extensive  and  permanent 
operations  than  has  yet  been  done. 

In  concluding  this  part  of  the  report,  and  in  connection  with  the  mag 
nitude  and  importance  of  perhaps  a  somewhat  exciting  principle  in 


78  [APPENDIX 

relation  to  it,  I  would  beg  leave  to  call  your  attention  to  a  point  on 
which  there  has  heretofore  existed  much  diversity  of  opinion,  which  not 
unfrequently  has  engendered  angry  discussion  and  beligerent  feeling  in 
a  large  proportion  of  our  mining  population.  The  experience  of  the 
last  three  years  has  elucidated  the  fact  most  clearly  that  the  two  mining 
interests  of  this  State  cannot  be  governed  by  the  same  rule  of  law  in  all 
cases,  and  prove  alike  advantageous  to  both ;  it  is  therefore  suggested 
whether  some  method  more  congenial  to  this  interest  may  not  be  adop 
ted,  that  will  favor  the  occupancy  and  improvement  of  the  metallic  veins 
of  this  State,  giving  at  the  same  time  widest  scope  and  protection  to  all 
at  present  engaged,  and  those  who  may  wish  hereafter  to  enter  upon 
those  pursuits. 


PKESENT  GOYEENMENT  OF  METALLIC  VEIN'S. 

Before  entering  upon  this  part  of  our  subject  I  will  state,  that  through 
out  every  part  of  the  mining  counties,  which  it  has  been  my  fortune  to 
visit,  in  my  examinations  of  previous  years,  and  up  to  the  present  time, 
the  subject  of  needful  protection  to  capital  investment  and  labor  in  this 
branch  of  mining,  has  been  fully  and  unequivocally  expressed  by  those 
engaged  and  interested  in  it,  and  by  a  large  portion  of  those  engaged  in 
placer  mining,  having  no  direct  connection  with  the  former.  And  it  is  at 
the  solicitation  of  nearly  every  individual  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  mining 
on  veins,  that  the  subject  is  presented  to  your  consideration  at  the  pre 
sent  time.  A  wish  has  long  since  been  expressed,  and  urged  through 
all  the  various  channels  of  communication,  that  the  present  tenure  by 
which  this  species  of  property  is  holden  and  conveyd  may  be  changed 
in  such  manner  as  may  render  available  capital  investments,  which  must 
be  largely  employed  in  order  to  develop  those  sources  of  wealth  and 
insure  their  occupancy. 

It  is  perhaps  a  questionable  point  whether  the  State  government  is 
vested  witb  the  power  to  cede  and  convey  title  in  fee  to  lands  containing 
the  precious  metals,  even  were  that  title  absolutely  required  from  the 
nature  of  existing  circumstances ;  but  whether  her  jurisdiction  in  the 
case  be  sovereign  or  not,  she  legitimately  possesses  a  conservative  jurisdic 
tion  over  such  lands,  and  through  that  power,  as  a  member  of  the  great 
confederacy,  may  exert  an  influence  to  obtain  such  modifications  of  ex 
isting  laws"  of  the  general  government,  as  would  conflict  with  the  com 
mon  interests  of  her  citizens,  or  of  those  rules  and  regulations  tempora 
rily  instituted  by  the  State,  which  by  their  present  -  action,  have  a  ten 
dency  to  cripple  and  reduce  her  otherwise  available  means  of  revenue. 

Under  this  form  of  the  question  it  becomes  a  matter  of  some  importance 
to  consider,  whether  the  entire  interests  of  the  State  would  not  be  materially 
and  beneficially  affected,  by  placing  such  lands  as  are  under  its  conservative 
influence  in  a  position  that  would  be  likely  to  yield  a  revenue  from  their  oc 
cupancy,  and  which  at  the  same  time  would  yield  an  adequate  security  for 
the  investment  of  capital  to  be  employed  iu  their  developement.  A  system 
of  law  that  would  induce  a  more  extensive  occupancy  than  that  now  exist 
ing  must  insure,  as  a  resultant,  a  corresponding  increase  of  revenue,  thereby 


Doc.  No.  9.]  79 

reducing  taxation  on  the  great  mass,  render  less  burdensome  the  support  of 
the  State  government. 

A  course  of  action  that  would  accomplish  this  end,  and  at  the  same  time 
prevent  that  result  which  it  has  been  the  careful  study  of  the  representatives 
of  the  people  to  guard  against,  and  whose  every  effort  has  been  directed  to 
preserve  to  the  people  the  most  liberal  policy  in  the  acquirement  of  wealth 
from  the  varied  and  prolific  sources  presented  in  no  other  country  than  this, 
must  be  unobjectionable  either  to  the  miner  or  merchant. 

A  strong  objection  has  been  urged  against  the  sale  of  mineral  lands,  and 
justly  too,  as  in  this  case  the  title  must  pass  into  the  hands  of  private  parties, 
which  in  most  countries  has  proved  objectionable  in  many  particulars,  and  a 
course  of  this  kind  could  never  meet  the  approbation  of  a  large  majority  of 
our  population,  in  the  present  state  of  our  information.  In  aft  other  countries 
as  in  our  own,  the  title  to  mineral  lands  is  vested  in  the  crown,  or  general 
government,  (with  the  exception  of  Great  Britain,)  and  the  title  or  permis 
sion  to  use  or  occupy  can  emanate  only  from  that  source,  where  ifc  properly 
belongs.  In  all  countries  where  mines  of  the  precious  metals  have  been 
found,  different  policies  for  their  government  have  been  pursued,  but  as  yet 
that  policy  which  has  been  the  most  liberal,  and  at  the  same  time  protective  of 
private  rights,  is  found  to  have  exerted  the  widest  and  most  beneficial  influ 
ence  in  their  developement  and  occupancy  ;  under  such  a  system  it  is  im 
possible  for  it  to  do  otherwise  than  prosper,  and  the  experience  of  nearly 
three  centuries  have  gone  to  substantiate  that  fact. 

There  can  be  no  possible  objection  to  the  general  principles  on  which  our 
present  system  is  founded,  it  is  the  same  that  made  Spain  and  Mexico  what 
they  were. and  are,  and  one  that  with  these  countries  has  stood  the  tests  of 
time,  the  best  proof  of  its  utility  and  univeral  applications.  Throughout  all 
the  political  changes  that  have  convulsed  and  shattered  the  civil  codes  of 
these  governments,  no  change  or  alteration  of  a  restrictive  tendency  has 
been  made  in  the  Ordinances  des  Mineria.  For  tte  last  fifty  years  no 
change  that  in  the  least  has  affected  its  vital  features,  except  to  render  them 
more  liberal  and  congenial ;  its  dictates  with  them  are  as  sacred  as  their 
holy  creed,  and  to  molest  or  change  its  principles  would-be  regarded  as 
equally  sacreligeous. 

Under  that  system  individual  rights  in  mines  are  scrupulously  respected, 
and  strict  nori  compliance  with  its  requisitions  are  followed  by  a  reversion  of 
party  rights  to  the  crown,  from  which  only  can  a  similar  title  be  obtained  by 
others  wishing  to  occupy  and  improve.  » 

The  history  of  mining  proper  throughout  the  world,  has  taught  us  that 
it  is  impossible  to  pursue  that  business  to  advantage  without  heavy  outlays 
of  capital ;  this  applies  equally  to  mining  for  silver  or  gold ;  the  great  amount 
of  labor  and  expense  attendent  in  opening  a  mine  is  the  cause  of  this,  that 
branch  alone  often  being  the  work  of  years,  before  the  reduction  of  any  of 
its  metals  take  place  whereby  any  return  of  profits  can  be  realized.  We 
are  not  wanting  in  illustrations  of  this  kind,  they  are  as  wide-spread  as  the 
mining  operations  of  the  world  ;  and  if  more  definite  examples  of  this  fact 
is  required  than  the  general  history  of  this  branch  of  industry,  we  need  but 
to  refer  to  the  superficial  operations  of  our  own  State  heretofore,  to  show 
that  limited  means  cannot  succeed  in  gold  mining,  though  the  veins  produc- 


80  [APPENDIX 

ing  the  metal  may  be  (as  they  frequently  are  in  this  country,)  exceedingly 
productive. 

Our  citizens  embarked  in  this  delusive  speculation  in  a  most  inconsiderate 
manner.  The  results  that  followed  from  their  earlier  operations  are  too  well 
known  :  the  capital  at  their  command,  being  small,  was  expended  even  be 
fore  their  veins  were  opened,  and  this  great  lever  of  success  in  these  ope 
rations  being  thus  early  suspended,  prevented  the  prosecution  of  the  enter 
prise  to  a  successful  termination,  which  would  have  ended  in  profit  in  place 
of  loss. 

The  fault,  "  if  fault  there  be,"  lay  at  the  door  of  misguided  apprehensions, 
induced  by  flattering  reports  of  results  which  had  flowed  from  hasty  examin 
ations,  but  not  in  the  veins  themselves  ;  as  these  were  dumb,  and  unable 
to  speak  for  themselves,  until  men  of  larger  means  developed  their  capa 
bilities,  the  cause  of  failure  was  attributed  to  a  want  of  metal  in  the  lodes  ; 
hence  the  distrust  which  has  up  to  the  present  time  attached  itself  to  this 
branch  of  mining,  and  has  resulted  in  serious  loss  to  the  country  at  large,  as 
well  as  to  the  private  citizen. 

A  few  have  grappled  through  against  all  obstacles,  who  were  fortunate 
enough  to  command  the  necessary  means,  and  now  have  their  mines  opened 
and  in  successful  operation.  But  it  has  been  at  the  expense  of  heavy  out 
lays  of  capital,  and  nearly  two  years  of  industrious  application  and  hard  labor  ; 
the  results  which  they  have  produced  has  been  the  means  of  fixing  on  a  per 
manent  basis,  the  character  of  these  mines,  which  it  will  be  difficult  to  affect 
injuriously  hereafter  ;  and  their  integrity  as  lucrative  employments,  and 
safety  for  capital  investments  in  themselves,  is  questioned  by  none  who  are 
conversant  with  their  present  condition. 

Notwithstanding  their  acknowledged  intrinsic  value,  there  is  an  incubus 
resting  upon  them,  which  prevents,  and  must  still  prevent,  their  more  exten 
sive  ocoupancy,  and  until  removed  in  some  manner,  will  stand  as  an  insuper 
able  obstacle  to  their  future  progress.  This  rests  in  the  doubtful  and  un 
certain  tenure,  by  which  these  mines  are  held,  being  subject,  as  they  are,  to 
the  government  of  the  majority  of  the  people  in  the  district  in  which  they 
are  located,  and  whose  interests  directly  considered,  are  both  unconnected 
and  foreign,  though  following  a  profession  similar  in  some  respects  to  that 
under  consideration. 

The  position  of  the  Placer  miner,  and  those  engaged  on  veins,  is  different 
in  many  respects.  In  the  case  of  the  former,  there  is  but  a  comparatively 
small  amount  of  capital  requisite  to  pursue  his  business  advantageously  and 
successfully  :  in  the  other,  experience  has  fully  demonstrated  that  he  cannot 
pursue  his  business  successfully  without  large  expenditures.  In  the  case  of 
the  former,  the  extraction  of  gold  is  conducted  by  the  simple  process  of 
washing  ;  in  the  other,  it  can  be  extracted  from  the  gaugue  often  only  by 
complex  metallurgical  processes,  and  subjected  even  then  to  much  uncer 
tainty,  and,  at  times,  loss — requiring  what  the  Placer  does  not,  the  employ 
ment  of  men  who  have  made  it  the  study  of  their  lives,  and  the  use  of 
means  mechanical  and  scientific,  which  do  not  come  within  the  requisition 
of  the  former,  to  conduct  his  operations  to  a  successful  issue. 

The  operations  of  the  placer  miner  are  generally  limited  as  to  time,  sel 
dom  exceeding  a  year  in  the  same  locality,  on  his  removal  his  interests  in 
his  former  residence  ceases ;  in  the  case  of  the  miner  engaged  on  veina,  he 


Doc.  No.  9.]  81 

finds  that  his  operations  mnst  be  continued  through  a  series  of  years-  in  order 
to  secure  a  fair  remuneration  for  his  labors,  and  if  he  removes  to  other  parts 
of  the  State,  his  interests  in  the  locality  he  left  does  not  cease,  as  his  capi 
tal  investments  still  remain  and  continue  a  permanent  source  of  revenue  to 
the  State  and  county  in  which  they  are  located.  The  implements  of  the 
placer  miner  are  few,  and  easily  obtained  or  disposed  of  if  he  wishes  to  re 
move  but,  it  is  widely  different  with  the  other.  He  is  obliged  to  obtain  ex 
pensive  machinery  to  obtain  profitable  results  from  his  labors,  and  heavy 
sacrifice  is  often  the  attendant,  if  it  is  his  misfortune  to  fail  in  his  operations 
from  any  causes  either  natural  or  artificial. 

The  effect  of  placer  mining  in  all  parts  of  the  world  has  been,  to  produce 
a  wandering  and  unstable  community,  no  Jbetter  example  is  to  be  found  than 
in  our  own  State  ;  it  is  a  true  illustration  of  what  has  occurred  in  other 
countries  whose  features  simulate  our  own  ;  and  to  remedy  this  has  been  the 
aim  of  our  State  government  almost  from  its  earliest  foundation  ;  how  far  its 
efforts  have  been  attended  with  success  its  present  history  will  clearly  elu 
cidate.  The  attempt  to  induce  a  permanent  settlement  in  the  mountains  can 
be  said  to  have  partially  succeeded  only,  and  this  has  occurred  in  those  in 
stances  where  the  parties  thus  locating  have  been  enabled  to  avail  themselves 
of  interests  that  would  partake  of  a  degree  of  permanency  for  a  series  of 
years  ;  their  titles  to  improvements  on  the  lands  such  persons  occupy,  being 
retained  only  by  the  law  of  sufference,  subject  to  the  decrees  of  the  majority 
residing  in  their  vicinity  if  found  to  be  auriferous. 

On  the  broad  platform  of  "equal  right  and  equal  privilege,"  which  has 
been  the  governing  principle  of  this  State  in  its  most  extended  sense  from 
its  earliest  occupancy,  the  dim  outline  of  a  desire  to  establish  permanency 
in  the  settlement  of  the  mountain  districts  has  been  manifested,  and  at  the 
present  time  it  has  become  a  distinguishing  feature  in  a  large  portion  of  the 
mining  population,  in  mining  employments  it  is  equally  apparent  as  in  agri 
culture  ;  among  the  most  stringent  advocates  of  a  "masterly  inactivity"  in 
regard  to  the  government  of  the  mines,  two  years  ago,  are  now  to  be  found 
men  equally  earnest  in  their  advocacy  of  vesting  rights  that  shall  partake  of 
the  character  of  permanency,  and  protective  where  his  operations  require 
investments,  to  secure  competency  and  reward  for  his  labours.  Experience 
has  taught  us  that  necessity,  if  we  would  foster  those  emploj^ments  which  it 
has  been  our  pride  to  boast,  and  where  no  subversion  of  those  fundamental 
principles  on  which  our  laws  are  founded  can  take  place. 

In  every  county  of  the  State  where  quartz  mining  has  been  conducted 
this  will  be  found  a  striking  feature  in  each  and  all  of  their  operations,  and 
has  been  particularly  manifested  in  some  of  the  northern  counties,  where  more 
stringency  in  the  enforcement  of  mining  laws  of  former  years  existed,  than 
probably  any  other  part  of  the  State  ;  the  effects  of  this  course  of  action  was 
equally  manifest  abroad,  in  the  Atlantic  States  and  Europe,  when  the  con 
struction  of  the  present  mining  code  was  published  in  those  countries.  In 
one  of  our  northern  counties  a  system  has  been  founded  on  this  code  which 
under  certain  conditions,  (consisting  of  a  given  amount  of  improvements 
only)  conveys  a  title  in  fee  to  all  intents  and  purposes  ;  and  another  by 
which  parties  have  the  right  of  holding  all  that  they  may  be  able  to  purchase. 
This  course  of  action  among  miners  themselves  must  be  viewed  as  a  plain 
and  clearly  defined  wish,  on  their  part,  to  extend  over  the  country  a  system 
11 


82  [APPENDIX 

of  government  that  shall  prove  alike  conducive  to  the  enhancement  of  these 
interests  and  the  public  welfare,  and  offer  by  these  means  inducements  for 
the  investments  of  capital  from  abroad  ;  its  effects  would  prove  beneficial 
inasmuch  as  every  dollar  of  capital  thus  invested  would  become  so  much 
available  means  of  revenue  and  serve  to  retain  a  much  greater  amount  of 
the  gold  extracted  from  our  hills,  within  the  State. 

From  the  nature  of  gold-mining  proper,  it  results  as  a  consequence  al 
most,  that  those  who  engage  in  it,  must  become  permanent  settlers,  as  their 
operations  if  successful  become  the  work  of  years  instead  of  a  few  months, 
and  their  investments,  when  made,  are  done  with  that  view.  Under  these 
circumstances  does  it  not  become  a  matter  of  correct  policy  to  separate  the 
interests  of  the  placer  miner  and  those  engaged  on  veins,  in  such  a  manner 
that  those  engaged  in  each  branch  may  enjoy  that  liberty  which  the  placer 
miner  now  possesses,  and  which  is  enjoyed  by  the  other  only  by  the  suffer 
ance  of  the  former  in  the  largest  majority  of  cases  ;  giving  to  each  the  right 
to  enact  those  laws,  which  they  in  their  good  judgment  will  find  most  condu 
cive  to  their  seperate  interests,  and  which  from  their  nature  and  attendant 
circumstances  are  very  dissimilar  and  foreign. 

The  jealousies  and  feeling  arising  from  the  suspicion  entertained  by  each 
other,  which  has  heretofore  and  at  the  present  time  exists  to  a  considerable 
extent,  in  these  two  branches  of  industry  would,  by  the  above  course  be  done 
away,  and  a  much  greater  degree  of  stability  in  mining  proper  would  be  the 
result,  (which  under  the  present  arrangement  of  affairs  can  hardly  exist)  in 
which  its  prosperity  to  a  great  extent  is  involved  :  its  influence  would  not 
only  be  made  manifest  here,  but  it  would  give  a  confidence  abroad  in  these 
operations  which  they  do  not  now  possess,  and  to  which  we  must  look  for 
those  means  by  which  we  shall  be  able  to  conduct  gold-mining  successfully 
and  with  profit. 

The  entire  separation  of  these  interests  would  be  regarded  abroad  as  tho 
opening  of  a  new  era  in  the  mining  history  of  this  State,  fraught  with  bene 
ficial  results,  and  involving  a  vital  interest  in  her  future  economy,  advanta 
geous 'alike  to  the  revenues  of  the  State  and  to  the  people  ;  it  would  remove 
that  serious  obstacle  at  present  in  the  path  of  its  progress,  viz  :  "the  inse 
curity  that  now  exists  for  invested  capital,  from  the  motative  policy  hereto 
fore  pursued,"  and  restore  that  confidence  which  such  a  policy  has  in  a  great 
measure  been  the  means  of  destroying. 

The  mines  of  this  State  are  of  a  character  and  value,  which  if  placed  in 
a  proper  position,  will  invite  investment  from  abroad,  to  an  amount  little  less 
than  twenty  millions  of  dollars  within  the  next  eight  years  ;  this  presump 
tion  is  founded  on  the  fact  that  more  than  one  sixth  of  that  amount  is  at  the 
present  time  in  active  operation  in  this  country,  and  its  largest  proportion 
has  been  derived  from  American  sources,  during  a  portion  of  that  period 
when  public  confidence  had  been  shaken  in  regard  to  their  value.  Nego 
tiations  are  now  pending  which  involve  nearly  one  million  more  of  capital 
investment  in  this  branch  of  mining,  nearly  one  half  of  which  is  in  the  cities 
of  Boston  and  New  York. 

Considering  the  disadvantages  that  now  surround  them,  as  shown  from 
the  facts  relating  thereto,  they  can  but  be  regarded  as  the  prolific  sources 
of  wealth  in  this  country  ;  and  every  inducement  consistent  with  the  liberal 


Doc.  No.  9.]  83 

policy  adopted  in  the  government  of  the  placers,  is  equally  applicable  and 
should  be  extended  to  them. 

. 

The  following  pages  will  contain  a  brief  notice  of  some  of  the  principal 
mines  of  the  State  with  a  list  of  those  in  successful  operation  and  their  lo 
cations.  Also  a  table  of  Barometric  Altitudes  ;  and  Catalogue  of  Minerals 
obtained  during  the  tour,  to  be  placed  in  the  State  Cabinet. 

LA  FAYETTE  AND  HELVETIA  MINE. 

This  company  is  located  at  Grass  Valley,  Nevada  County,  and  the  sketch 
of  the  workings  of  their  mine  is  taken  from  the  La  Fayette  Hill  vein  only 
about  two  miles  south-west  of  the  town.  The  length  of  the  vein  at  the 
above  hill  is  eleven  hundred  feet ;  it  has  a  curvilinear  course,  varying  from 
north-east -to  south-west ;  its  mean,  however,  when  marked  on  a  right  line 
is  north,  ten  degrees  east.  The  dip  of  the  vein  is  forty-one  degrees  east, 
having  a  power  of  three  feet  at  the  depth  of  thirty-four  feet ;  at  this  point 
the  ore  was  of  a  poorer  quality  than  at  any  other  point.  The  depth  of  the 
present  working  is  about  55  feet,  and  here  the  vien  increases  in  power  and 
value,  being  equal  to  three  feet  eight  inches,  and  yielding  in  a  large  amount 
of  ore,  forty  dollars  per  ton.  The  vien,  when  discovered,  was  covered  with 
yellowr  brown  alluvium  for  five  feet,  and  passed  through  this  and  decom 
posed  granite  of  a  purple  color  fifteen  feet,  when  it  entered  a  mass  of  de 
composed  and  fragmentary  greenstone  of  five  feet  depth,  thence  into  com 
pact  rock  of  the  same  character  and  continued  to  the  depth  of  fifty-five 
feet. 

Adit  level  is  1100  feet  in  length,  exclusive  of  tram  road  for  conveying 
ore  and  attle  from  the  mine  ;  it  extends  through  the  whole  length  of  their 
claim.  At  their  present  depth  all  the  ore  is  obtained  by  blasting,  which 
adds  much  fo  the  expense  of  the  mine.  The  cost  of  obtaining  ore  from  this 
mine  is  from  seven  to  eight  dollars  per  ton  at  present  rates  of  labor.  The 
company  have  about  900  feet  of  vein  in  Gold  Hill,  which  requires  no  blast- 
inging  and  is  obtained  at  the  mill  for  five  dollars  per  ton. 

The  La  Fayette  Hill  vein  was  much  decomposed  for  the  depth  of  thirty 
feet,  and  contained  a  large  quantity  of  peroxide  iron  and  free  gold  ;  after 
passing  into  the  compact  greenstone  the  vein  becomes  quite  firm,  and  highly 
charged  with  pyrites  investing  gold  ;  the  crystals  were  white  and  well-ter- 
inmated,  generally  perfect  in  form.  In  some  parts  of  the  mine,  galena  is 
met  with  and  gold  imbeded  in  it ;  an  examination  of  this  latter  mineral  has 
not  been  made  for  silver,  but  from  its  appearance  it  is  quite  probable  that 
it  contains  this  metal.  The  matrix  of  the  ore  is  a  bluish  white  and  trans 
lucent,  in  pieces  of  one  inch  in  thickness  ;  the  blue  tint  of  the  vein  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  shafts  is  due  in  a  great  measure  to  finely  divided  particles  of 
lead. 

The  capital  of  this  company  is  about  three  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and 
their  receipts  in  four  months  has  been  as  high  as  $98,000,  but  their  aver 
age  is  tiear  $10,000  per  month ;  the  mine  has  yielded  with  great  uniformity 
since  the  commencement  of  operations,  and-  bids  fair  for  future  success. 

This  mine  has  two  Batteries  and  when  in  full  operation  is  capable  of  re 
ducing  forty  tons  of  ore  per  day,  but  one  battery  is  run  at  a  time  as  the 


84  [APPENDIX 

amalgamating  apparatus  is  not  of  sufficient  capacity  at  present  to  dispose  of 
that  amount  of  ore  judiciously,  the  amalgamating  instruments  consist  of 
Cram's  Cylinder  and  Berdan's  Amalgamator,  in  the  latter  about  fifteen  per 
cent  of  the  gross  amount  is  saved  after  it  has  passed  through  the  other  in 
struments  ;  this  arises  from  the  fact  that  Berdan's  instrument  possesses  a 
levigating  power  from  revolving  balls  in  the  instrument  which  gives  a  new 
surface  to  the  material  passing  under  them. 


GOLD  HILL  MINE. 

This  mine  is  located  in  the  town  of  Grass  Valley  on  the  first  hill  to  the 
west  of  the  village.  The  mine  was  first  opened  in-  1851  and  worked  to  a 
considerable  extent  and  profit,  subsequently  it  passed  to  the  hands  of  the 
Agua  Frio  Company  under  the  superintendence  of  their  agent  Mr.  Atwood 
in  whose  possession  it  now  remains  ;  after  an  examination  of  the  mine  the 
old  method  of  working  was  given  up,  and  a  new  system  of  operations  en 
tered  upon  in  order  to  tap  the  vein  at  the  lowest  possible  point  and  at  the 
same  time  afford  easy  transit  to  the  reduction  works  and  drainage  to  the 
mine.  With  this  view  an  adit  was  commenced  about  fifteen  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  creek  which  flows  in  front  of  the  town,  and  carried  west  through 
the  base  of  the  hill  for  a  distance  of  seven-hundred  feet,  cutting  through 
allavium  and  decomposed  granite  most  of  the  way,  at  the  west  end  of  the 
adit  which  cuts  the  vein  nearly  at  right  angles,  the  shaft  marked  A  in  the 
longitudinal  section  was  intersected  at  a  depth  of  ninety  feet  below  the  sur 
face  ;  from  near  the  ninety  feet  shaft  a  level  has  been  driven  to  the  north 
on  the  strike  of  the  vein  about  seventy  feet  marked,  I),  also  two  other  levels 
east  of  it,  E,  F,  which  intersect  the  north  crosscut  D  of  the  ground  plan  ; 
a  winze  has  been  sunk  below  the  water  level  sixteen  feet  marked  H,  of  the 
longitudinal  section  ;  this  disposition  in  the  working  of  the  mine  affords 
many  advantages  in  the  extraction  of  the  ore  and  attle  and  easy  communica 
tion  with  all  parts  of  the  mine  and  surface,  and  the  intersection  of  the  shaft 
A  produces  ample  ventilation.  'The  vein  intersects  the  greenstone  at  the 
bottom  of  the  air  shaft,  and  as  in  the  case  of  the  Lafayette  has  cut  com 
pletely  through  it ;  increasing  in  power  as  it  enters  this  rock,  about  one 
thousand  tons  of  ore  was  in  the  yard  at  the  time  I  visited  the  mine  ready  to 
pass  through  the  reduction  works.  From  the  end  of  the  long  adit  a  tram 
road  four-hundred  feet  in  length  passes  to  the  mill  on  which  by  mule  power, 
the  ore  is  conveyed  from  the  farthest  part  of  the  mine.  The  ground  plan 
exhibits  the  crosscuts  and  levels  and  their  connection  with  the  mill. 

The  strike  of  the  vein  is  north  and  south  diping  east  at  an  an  angle  of  24 
degrees,  with  a  vein  whose  power  at  ninety  feet  was  nearly  three  feet ;  the 
transverse  section  is  shown  the  air  shaft  entering  the  greenstone  and  inter 
secting  the  vein,  with  the  increase  in  power  of  the  vein  from  the  surface  to 
the  lowest  point  worked.  The  ores  in  the  greenstone  differ  in  no  particular 
from  those  of  the  Lafayette,  with  the  exception  that  none  of  the  plumbic 
sulphuret  was  observed  at  this  mine  though  the  vein  has  much  the*  same 
blue  tint.  The  reduction  works  of  this  company  were  not  completed  in  No 
vember  and  no  opportunity  was  afforded  to  witness  their  process  at  that  time  ; 
it  was  expected  that  their  machinery  would  be  capable  of  reducing  over  one 


Doc.  No.  9.]  85 

hundred  tons  of  ore  per  day,  which  from  its  appearance  would  not  be  a  large 
estimate,  it  is  probably  the  most  powerful  machinery  in  this  country  and  will 
compare  with  any  in  Europe. ' 

The  operations  of  this  mine  are  looked  for  with  considerable  interest  at 
home  and  abroad,  as  their  capacities  for  reduction  are  much  more  exten 
sive  than  any  hitherto  put  up  in  this  country. 


OSBORN  HILL  MINE. 

i 

This  mine  is  located  two  miles  east  of  Grass  Valley,  it  has  been  opened 
on  the  course  of  the  vein  four-hundred  and  fifty  feet  and  from  sixty-five  to 
seventy  feet  in  depth.  Vein  strikes  north  and  south  dipping  east  at  an 
angle  of  forty  degrees  ;  the  transverse  section  shows  a  depth  of  sixty-five 
feet ;  the  shaft  was  carried  through  twelve  feet  of  alluvium,  seven  of  clay 
slate,  seventeen  of  a  much  broken  and  decomposed  greenstone,  and  fifteen 
feet  of  compact  rock  of  the  same  character  ;  total  depth  including  winze  I 
is  nearly  seventy  feet.  The  vein  at  this  mine  has  dislocated  all  the  rocks 
above  it  and  possesses  that  half  stratified  appearance  as  in  the  Lafayette, 
arising  from  fracture  by  the  intrusive  vein.  The  power  of  the  vein  is  about 
three  feet  at  the  depth  of  sixty-five  feet.  In  the  longitudinal  section,  the 
levels  which  have  been  driven  are  given  to  scale  and  their  different  lengths 
are  found  by  reference  to  the  sketch.  This  mine  has  been  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  and  profitable  of  the  State  and  has  been  conducted  with  much 
prudence  and  economy. 


WYOMING   MINE. 

This  mine  is  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  Deer  Creek,  about  two  miles 
below  the  town  of  Nevada  ;  its  altitude  above  the  Creek  is  two  hundred 
and  forty  feet,  and  the  higher  parts  of  the  outcrop  on  the  line  of  the  vein 
will  reach  nearly  or  quite  three  hundred  feet  above  the  same  point.  An 
adit  was  driven  about  two  hundred  feet  through  clay  slate,  which  intersected 
the  vein  at  this  point,  at  an  angle  of  about  twenty-seven  degrees.  From 
this,  two  levels  have  been  driven  on  the  vein,  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
and  fifty  feet  each,  and  a  winze  of  twenty-five.  The  vein  dips  east  with  an 
angle  of  forty  five  degrees,  having  a  strike  north  and  south,  with  a  power 
of  three  feet.  Fifty  feet  below  the  upper  adit,  another  was  commenced 
and  carried  to  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet,  intending  to  intersect  the 
vein  at  one  hundred  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  shaft  F  ;  at  seventy-six  feet 
the  greenstone  was  met,  and  the  adit  carried  fifty  feet  into  it.  At  the  junction 
of  the  slates  and  trap,  the  former  are  much  changed,  evidently  from  the 
effects  of  heat,  while  at  the  junction  of  the  slates  and  vein,  above  this,  they 
have  again  suffered  from  the  intrusion  of  the  latter. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  hill  the  vein  crops  cut  through  the  trap  two 
hundred  feet  below  the  summit,with  an  increased  power,  leaving  no  room  for 
doubt  of  the  permanency  of  its  character.  In  this  mine  one  of  the  recent 
veins  has  cut  through  from  the  Bunker  Hill  Mine,  east  of  this,  which 
produced  a  valuable  nest  of  ore  ;  the  dip  of  the  principal  Wyoming 


86  [APPENDIX 

Vein,  if  it  holds  ics  present  inclination,  must  cut  the  older  lodes  at  the 
depth  of  four  or  five  hundred  feet,  and  its  situation  is  such  that  ample  drain 
age  and  ventilation  can  be  obtained. 


GOLD  TUNNEL  MINE. 

The  mine  bearing  this  namfe  is  located  half  a  mile  west  of  the  town  of 
Nevada,  on  Deer  Creek,  and  has  been  worked  successfully  since  its  discov 
ery  in  1850  or  '51.  It  was  originally  a  placer  claim  and  was  found  while 
working  the  banks  of  the  creek  for  placer  gold.  Soon  after  its  discovery 
an  engine  was  erected  upon  the  ground  and  the  vein  opened  ;  it  was  com 
menced  by  driving  an  adit  level  on  the  vein,  which  was  subsequently  aban 
doned  and  a  new  level  commenced  at  the  point  at  which  the  present  reduc 
tion  works  are  situated. 

The  length  of  the  present  level  is  three  hundred  arid  seventy-five  feet, 
and  has  an  inclination  of  ten  degrees  from  the  horizontal  line  ;  three  winzes 
have  been  drove  on  the  lower  side  of  the  adit  [L.  F.  II.]  which  are  respec 
tively  thirty,  twenty  and  twelve  feet,  with  a  level  of  twenty-five  feet  be 
tween  the  winzes  F.  and  H.  On  the  opposite  side  two  cements  of  fifty  feet 
each,  and  a  gallery  connecting  both,  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet, 
writh  a  corresponding  one  connecting  the  winzes  on  the  lower  side.  All  the 
ore  included  within  the  dash  lines  has  been  stopped  out.  'flfa^  vein  is  situ 
ated  in  granite,  and  thus  far  has  been  loose  and  incoherent ;  tfcis  is  attribut 
able  to  the  large  amount  of  pyrites  contained  in  the  vein,  as  is  sh<  wn  at  any 
point  ^here  the  quartz  retains  any  solidity  ;  the  gold  is  in  a  free  state  in  the 
gossan,  of  which  there  are  large  quantities  throughout  the  mine  ;  the  operators 
on  this  vein  have  been  eminently  successful,  and  their  mine  bids  fair  to  con 
tinue  valuable.  The  strike  of  their  vein,  north  ten  degrees  east,  dipping 
east  ten  degrees  south,  at  an  angle  of  thirty-eight  degrees. 


ILLINOIS    MINE. 

The  Illinois  Mine  is  situated  directly  opposite  the  Gold  Tunnel  on  the 
south  bank  of  Deer  Creek,  and  is  a  continuation  of  the  same  vein  ,  it  has 
all  the  characteristics  of  the  former  throughout.  The  length  of  their  upper 
gallery  is  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  and  that  of  the  lower,  two  hundred  and 
fifty  ;  two  cross-cuts  have  been  driven  which  connect  the  galleries  at  C.  D. 
each  fifty  feet  in  length. 


JONES  AND  DAVIS  MINE,  HERBERTVILLE,  CALAVERAS 

COUNTY. 

The  mine  of  this  company  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  a  small  tributary 
running  into  Amidor  Creek,  the  latter  passes  through  the  town  of  Amidor 
one  mile  north  of  this  mine  ;  the  top  of  the  whim-shaft,  C,  is  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  feet  above  the  level  of  the  creek,  and  ninety  feet  below  the 
outcrop  of  the  ve^a  on  which  the  shaft,  C,  has  been  sunk ;  at  shaft  4  the 


Doc.  No.  9.]  87 

• 

vein  is  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  Amidor,  and  increases  in  alti* 
tude  for  half  a  mile,  until  it  arrives  at  the  height  of  four  hundred  feet  above 
the  town.  The  company  have  sunk  two  shafts  of  ninety  feet  on  the  vein, 
and  drove  two  galleries,  the  upper  one  A  being  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet,  the  lower,  B,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  are  driving  in  the  course 
of  the  dotted  lines  to  run  a  third  gallery  at  the  depth  of  fifty  feet  below  the 
point  B.  Figures  1,  2,  3,  are  stopes  from  which  they  are  now  obtaining  their 
ore,  being  conveyed  along  the  lower  level  to  the  whim-shaft  and  thence  ele 
vated  to  the  surface  ;  from  thence  it  is  conveyed  on  a  tram  road  600  feet  to 
the  reduction  works  at  its  terminus. 

The  design  for  future  operations  is  to  cut  an  adit  a  short  distance  north 
of  the  mill,  and  intersect  the  vein  at  a  point  which  will  give  a  depth  of  three 
hundred  feet  from  its  highest  point  to  a  level  with  the  end  of  their  present 
tram  road,  and  then  stope  down  from  this  point,  which  will  not  only  furnish 
an  abundance  of  ore,  if  the  vein  retains  its  present  power,  but  materially 
lessen  the  expense  of  its  extraction.  This  will  be  accomplished  in  a  dis 
tance  of  three  hundred  yards,  and  probably  less.  This  mine  is  very  sys 
tematically  arranged  for  the  comfort  of  the  miner,  and  obtaining  all  the  ores 
easily,  and  reflects  much  credit  on  its  projectors  ;  the  sketch  of  the  mine, 
drawn  to  scale  on  the  spot,  will  fully  elucidate  itself;  its  convenience  of 
arrangement,  considering  its  local  position,  will  be  found  equal  to  all  its 
necessary  requirements. 

The  vein  is  invested  in  chlorite  and  talcose  rocks,  throughout  its  whole 
extent,  being  nearly  three  miles  in  length.  On  the  eastern  side  of  the  vein 
a  graphic  slate  occurs,  having  a  thickness  of  one  or  two  feet ;  outside  of 
this  a  bed  of  chlorite,  from  five  to  ten  feet,  much  discolored  by  graphite, 
at  times  perfectly  black  and  staining  the  hand  easily.  On  the  west  side,  a 
greenish  chlorite  occurs,  next  the  vein,  highly  pyritiferous  and  often  con 
taining  considerable  gold  ;  the  power  of  the  vein  at  ninety  feet  depth  is  six 
feet,  and  has  steadily  increased  from  the  surface  down  ;  its  strike  is  north 
west  by  west,  with  a  corresponding  dip  east  and  south,  of  fifty-five  degrees. 
The  color  of  the  vein  is  bluish-white,  with  black  seams  of  graphite,  giving 
a  ribband-like  appearance  in  the  mass  ;  it  is  highly  pyritiferous,  and  when 
properly  roasted,  crumbles  easily  ;  some  parts  of  the  vein  contain  an  arsen 
ical  pyrites,  which  has  an  injurious  effect  in  the  reducing  process,  by  pre 
venting  perfect  amalgamation  ;  this  is  caused  by  roasting  the  ores  in  con 
tact  with  charcoal  which  should  not  be  practised  in  these  varieties  of  ores. 


SPRING  HILL  MINE. 

This  mine  is  located  on  Amadore  Creek,  at  the  east  end  of  the  town  and 
one  mile  north  of  the  preceding  mine.  The  company  commenced  operations 
on  this  sett  in  1851,  and  have  continued  uninterrupted  since  that  time  ;  it  is 
located  on  the  same  vein  as  the  former,  and  crops  out  to  the  height  of  530 
feet  on  the  highest  point  of  the  hill  between  Jones,  Davis  &  Co. 

Two  inclined  shafts  have  been  sunk  on  the  vein  to  about  75  feet  below 
the  bed  of  the  creek,  at  which  point  the  sett  has  a  power  of  six  feet ;  in  its 
general  character  it  differs  in  no  wise  from  the  mine  one  mile  south,  except 
in  the  disposition  of  investing  rocks.  At  Spring  Hill  the  graphic  slates 


88  [APPENDIX 

which  form  the  gangue  are  found  on  the  west  side  of  the  vein,  in  place  of 
the  east  as  at  Davis'  mine.  This  was  evidently  caused  by  an  unequal  dis 
placement  at  the  period  of  intrusion  of  the  dike,  resulting  from  the  trans 
verse  fracture  forming  the  cross  course  on  which  Johnson's  mine  is  situated  ; 
the  resistance  being  less  in  that  direction  at  the  time  of  fracture  in  the 
incumbent  rocks.  This  cross-fracture  had  the  effect  also  to  throw  the  in 
trusive  mass  from  a  right  line  at  the  time  it  broke  through,  for  the  entire 
length  of  the  dike,  giving  it  at  first  view  the  appearancne  rather  of  two 
sets  in  place  of  one  which  they  in  reality  are.  There  are  many  similar 
features  attending  the  veins  of  this  country,  which  has  created  no  little  con 
fusion  in  regard  to  their  true  position  ;  and  of  themselves  though  they  may 
appear  insignificant,  yet  with  the  miner  they  involve  questions  of  high  impor 
tance,  and  exert  an  influence  either  prejudicial  or  favorable  upon  his  opera 
tions,  as  their  position  may  be  clearly  or  distinctly  known. 

The  study  of  our  system  of  metallic  veins  and  its  correct  development, 
involves  some  of  the  most  important  interests  of  the  State ;  a  correct 
knowledge  of  their  position  is  much  desired,  but  as  the  limits  of  this  report 
will  not  admit  that  examination  which  they  require,  further  allusion  to  the 
subject  will  be  omitted. 

All  the  vein  between  shafts  and  to  the  point  E,  has  been  stopped  out  with 
the  exception  of  a  small  body  of  vein  to  support  the  walls  of  the  mine  and 
attle  F  F.  The  mine  from  its  proximity  to  the  creek  has  considerable  water 
but  is  kept  free  by  one  of  Farnham's  double-action  pumps  placed  at  the 
shaft  B,  while  the  shaft  A  is  used  for  bringing  the  ore  to  the  surface. 


AMADORE  COMPANY  MINE. 

This  is  situated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Creek  from  the  Spring  Hill 
mine,  and  on  the  same  sett.  Their  operations  have  been  conducted  below 
the  bed  of  the  creek,  to  the  depth  of  nearly  one  hundred  feet.  Shaft  D  is 
the  whim  shaft,  97  feet,  and  is  to  the  depth  of  100  feet,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  a  37  foot  horse  has  been  struck,  all  the  ore  from  the  lower  level  A  C 
has  been  stoped  out,  the  points  I  supporting  the  ottle.  Reference  to  the 
sketch  will  present  its  position  at  the  date  of  visiting  it. 

The  strike  of  the  vein  in  both  the  latter,  is  north  by  west,  diping  east  65 
degrees. 


RANCHOREE  MINE. 

Is  located  one  mile  north  of  the  preceding,  and  on  the  ridge  dividing  the 
Amadore  and  Ranchoree  Creeks ;  their  reduction  works  are  about  half  a 
mile  west  of  the  town  of  Ranchoree. 

The  upper  portion  of  their  vein  is  situated  420  feet  above  the  creek ;  on 
the  vein  are  three  shafts  of  about  70  feet,  and  two  levels  of  110  and  75  feet 
respectively ;  they  are  now  driving  on  the  level  I,  to  obtain  drainage  and 
easy  transit  for  their  ores  to  the  mill ;  the  plan  of  operations  will  be  seen  on 
the  sketch  marked  by  the  dash  lines.  The  vein  at  thia  lower  level  gives  a 
good  ore,  and  has  the  same  investing  rocks  as  at  the  upper  levels.  The 


Doc.  No.  9.]  89 

vein  strikes  north  25  degrees  west,  dipping  east,  with  a  power  of  four  feet. 
The  investing  rocks  are  talcose  slates. 


KEYSTONE  MINE. 

This  mine  is  situated  on  the  arroya  leading  into  the  Amadore;  one  mile 
below  Jones  &  Davis'  mine ;  it  appears  to  be  a  parallel  vein,  half  a  mile 
west  of  the  line  uniting  the  latter  and  the  Spring  Hill  mine ;  the  ores  par 
take  of  all  the  general  characters  of  the  other  two  mines,  and  it  is  situated 
25  feet  above  the  level  of  the  creek.  The  sett  of  Jones,  Davis  &  Co.  and 
the  Spring  Hill  are  in  the  high  hill  east  of  the  workings  figured  in  the  sketch 
for  the  Keystone  Mine. 

This  vein  strikes  north  10  degrees  west,  diping  40  degrees  east,  with  a 
power  of  five  feet ;  the  investing  rocks  are  the  graphic  slate  and  chlorites,  as 
found  in  all  the  others  in  this  neighborhood. 


EUREKA  MINE,  SUTTER,  CALAVERAS  COUNTY. 

This  mine  is  located  a  short  distance  south  of  the  town  of  S utter.  The 
company  have  one  shaft,  A,  which  is  used  for  the  whim  by  which  the 
ore  is  at  present  taken  from  the  mine  :  a'cross  cut,  seen  at  D,  in  the  ground 
plan,  was  carried  east  14U  feet,  intersecting  the  level,  D,  and  main  shaft, 
from  this  the  gallery,  B,  was  carried  south  135  feet,  and  subsequently  the 
lower  level,  C,  was  driven  each  way  a  distance  of  230  feet. 

The  mine  is  in  active  operation,  and  they  are  now  driving  an  adit  on 
the  east  side  of  the  hill,  which  will  intersect  their  vein  at  an  angle  of  65 
degrees  to  its  line  of  strike,  this  will  be  400  feet  in  length,  and  will  afford 
easy  arid  rapid  communication  with  the  reduction  works.  At  the  end  of 
the  adit  a  tram-road  is  constructed  2800  feet,  which  connects  with  the 
mill ;  the  gallery,  B,  2,  will  be  connected  with  the  adit  in  the  dotted  line, 
F,  of  the  ground  plan. 

The  vein  of  this  company  is  in  chlorite,  and  has  a  strike  north  and 
south,  dipping  east  55  degrees,  with  a  power  of  five  feet ;  the  vein  has 
a  riband  like  appearance  in  masses,  from  small  seams  of  graphic  slate 
running  through  it.  The  vein  contains  some  arsenical  ores,  which  are 
highly  auriferous. 


90 


[APPENDIX 


LIST  OF  GOLD  MINES 

At  present  in  operation  in  California,  with  location,  power  employed,  &c. 


COUNTY. 

TOWNS,   ETC. 

NAME    OF   MINE. 

•LOCALITY. 

POWER. 

Nevada. 

Nevada  and  vicinity. 

Gold  Tunnel. 

Deer  Creek. 

Steam. 

« 

«                     K 

Golden  Gate. 

Little  Deer  Creek. 

u 

«                                           K 

Nevada. 

Deer  Creek. 

Water,! 

it 

II                                           CC 

Wyoming. 

" 

u 

(C 

II                                          II 

Wisconsin. 

East  of  town. 

i' 

<C 

II                                          1C 

Illinois. 

Deer  Creek. 

" 

II 

It                                          II 

El  Dorado. 

1C 

<t 

Grass  Valley. 

Gold  Hill. 

West  of  town. 

Steam. 

II 

« 

Crossett  and  Collins. 

Osborn  Hill. 

" 

M 

it 

Empire. 

Ophir  Hill. 

" 

II 

1C 

French. 

Union  Hill. 

" 

Butte. 

Jamison  Creek. 

Lafayette  &  Helvetia 
Washington. 

Lafayette  Hill. 
Jamison. 

u 

M 

c. 

Eureka. 

cc 

Water. 

Sierra. 

Downieville. 

Ariel. 

South  Fork. 

cc 

Yuba. 

Brown's  Valley. 

Huntley's. 

Steam. 

Shasta. 

Kelby's. 

« 

Mt.  "Washington. 

Mt.  "Washington. 

Siskiyou. 

Scott's  Valley. 

Stents. 

Scott  River.  ' 

Steam. 

a 

" 

Shackelford's. 

Scott  Valley. 

" 

it 

Moft'at's. 

" 

Water. 

u 

Martin's. 

Humbug  Creek. 

« 

Klamath. 

Sealey's  Flat. 

McDermott's. 

El  Dorado. 

Union  Town. 

Union. 

Marthenas  Creek. 

Steam. 

ci 

Quartzville. 

Thomas's. 

Consumnes  River. 

Water. 

Calaveras. 

Ranchoree. 

Ranchoree. 

Creek. 

" 

ic 

Amidor. 

Amidor. 

Town  and  Creek. 

Steam. 

K 

Spring  HilL 

cc 

C.                                  CI 

" 

u 

Amidor. 

Keystone. 

Tributary  Creek. 

" 

u 

Herbertville. 

Jones  &  Davis's. 

1C 

•« 

II 

1C 

Lea  <fe  Johnson. 

«« 

M 

Mokelumne  Ridge. 

Woodhouse. 

' 

« 

Phosnix. 

cc 

" 

« 

1C 

" 

cc 

« 

« 

Sutter. 

Eureka. 

Sutter  Creek. 

Water. 

II 

cc 

Amidor,  No.  2. 

" 

Steam. 

K 

Jackson. 

Oneida. 

" 

Tuolumne. 

Maxwell  Creek. 

Harris's. 

Creek. 

" 

M 

Coulterville. 

Maxwell  Creek  Co. 

" 

" 

II 

Merced  River. 

Marble  Springs. 

North  Fork. 

cc 

Mariposa. 

Mt  Ophir. 
Quartzburg. 

Noveax  Monde. 
Washington  &  Georg. 

Mt.  Ophir. 
Quartzburg. 

cc 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  there  are  thirty-nine  mines  in  successful 
operation  in  this  State  at  the  present  date,  twenty-eight  of  which  I  have 
personally  visited  this  season,  and  my  excuse  for  not  visiting  the  balance, 
was  the  lateness  of  the  season  and  distances,  with  the  time  necessarily 
required  to  compile  this  report,  being  now  delayed  much  beyond  the 
time  when  it  should  have  appeared. 


Doc.  No.  9.] 


91 


ALTITUDES 

Taken  by  Aneroid  Barometer  No.  10,811,  with  the  Counties  and  Localities 
in  which  they  were  taken. 


COUNTY. 

LOCALITY. 

POSITION. 

ALTITUDE 
ABOVE  THE 
SEA. 

Santa  Clara, 

San  Jose, 

Mansion  House, 

150  feet 

«« 

Almaden, 

Hotel, 

48o     '• 

«                        «4 

Mine, 

1345     •  - 

<                        « 

Houck's  Ranch, 

Santa  Clara  Valley, 

190     •' 

t                        « 

Gilroy's, 

<«                  <£                      « 

155     v 

<                        <( 

Mission  Peak, 

' 

2025     •  • 

Monterey, 

Mission  San  Juan, 

210     •  • 

« 

Ranch  Tres  Pinos, 

Canada  San  Benito, 

220     •  • 

« 

Pass  Santa  Anna, 

Top  of  hill, 

615     •• 

ti 

Canada  San  Juan, 

Four  miles  south  of  the  above, 

300     " 

" 

Canada  Las  Muertos, 

Entrance, 

280     •• 

« 

Sierra  Gibilan, 

Summit, 

2780     •  • 

<( 

Chupedero, 

u 

2368     •  • 

" 

Chelone, 

" 

2010     •  • 

14 

Sole  dad  Mission, 

312     •• 

U 

•• 

Hill  on  road  from  San  Juan  to  ) 

"Watson  ville,                             \ 

340 

San  Luis  Obispo. 

High  Ridge, 

South  Nacismiento, 

2460     •  ' 

Alameda, 

Mission  San  Jose", 

Portico, 

285     v 

Sunols  Hill, 

Entrance  to  valley, 

505     •• 

"     Valley, 

285     •' 

Seven  Mile  House, 

Sunol  Valley, 

240     •• 

Livermore's  Ranch, 

Livermore  Valley, 

420     V 

Hill  in  Pass  nine  miles  from  Ranch, 

865     v 

Canada  half  mile  north  of  hill, 

584     •• 

Stone  House, 

Bottom  of  hill,  one  mile, 

680     '• 

San  Joaquin, 

Elk  Horn, 

Mouth  of  Livermore  Pass, 

220     •• 

»<           « 

Suddenfield's  Ranch, 

San  Joaquin  Valley, 

80     V 

Nevada, 

Nevada  City, 

Adams'  Office, 

1810     '• 

" 

*Grass  Valley, 

a             u 

1950     •  • 

Placer, 

Auburn, 

1080     .  . 

" 

Half-way  House  to  Sacramento, 

370     .. 

El  Dorado, 

Aurum  City, 

1200     .  . 

" 

Mud  Springs, 

1430     .  . 

Sacramento, 

North  Fork  House, 

170     .. 

u 

Sacramento  City, 

Levee, 

89     •• 

Yuba, 

Maiysville, 

76     •• 

<( 

Johnson's  Ranch, 

Bear  River, 

1120     •• 

*  A  difference  of  fifty  feet  by  observations  of  Mr.  Atwood  with  mercurial  Barometer,  taken  three  quarters  of 
a  mile  south ;  difference  probably  in  elevation  of  both  places. 

Altitudes  were  taken  in  the  Counties  of  Butte,  Sierra  and  upper  part 
of  Yuba  with  another  instrument,  but  as  it  was  found  not  to  correspond 
with  the  points  of  departure  on  my  return,  the  observations  were  pre 
sumed  to  be  incorrect  and  therefore  are  not  given  in  this  table.  Some  of 
the  localities  in  this  table  have  been  levelled  and  their  height  accurately 
known,  and  as  the  barometric  measurements  have  been  found  to  corres 
pond,  they  are  probably  close  approximations. 


92  [APPENDIX 


COLLECTION  FOR  THE  STATE  CABINET. 

The  Minerals  found  in  the  attached  list  will  represent  the  rocks  of 
those  sections  examined  and  spoken  of  in  the  report. 

1.  Sandstone  conglomerate  with  serpentine,  Water  Works,  San  Fran 
cisco. 

2.  Chromic  iron,  containing  Nickel,  Panoches,  Gabilan  Mountains. 

3.  Chromic  iron,  containing  Nickel,  San  Benito,  Canada  of. 

4.  Chromic  iron,  containing  Nickel,  Alameda  County. 

5.  Serpentine,  containing  free  Iodine,  Water  Works,  San  Francisco. 

6.  Serpentine  seams  of  Asbestus,  Water  Works,  San  Francisco. 

7.  Sulphuret  Copper  in  Quartz,  Alisal,  Monterey. 

8.  Blue  and  green  Carbonate  Copper,  Alisal,  Monterey. 

9.  Carbonate  and  Sulphuret  Copper,  Alisal,  Monterey. 

10.  Carbonate  and  Sulphuret  Copper,  Santa  Barbara. 

11.  Jaspery  rocks,  Presidio,  San  Francisco. 

12.  Gangue  of  the  veins,  Alisal  Mine. 

13.  Gossan,  containing  Gold,  Gabilan  Mountains. 

15.  Gold  in  Quartz  with  peroxide  iron,  Washington  Mine,  Shasta  Co. 

16.  Do.        do,        do.         do-         do.         do.         do.        do.         do. 

17.  Do.         do.         do.         CD.         do.         do.        do.         do.         do. 

18.  Gossan,  containing  Gold,  Gold  Tunnel  Mine,  Nevada. 

19.  Gold  in  Quartz,  Gold  Tunnel  Mine,  Nevada. 

20.  Gold  in  Pyrites,  Gold  Tunnel  Mine,  Nevada. 

21.  Gold  in  Quartz  with  Galena,  Lafayette  and  Helvetia  Mine,  Nevada. 

22.  Gold  in  Pyrites,  Lafayette  and  Helvetia  Mine,  Nevada. 

23.  Gold  in  Arsenical  Pyrites.  Lafayette  and  Helvetia  Mine,  Nevada. 

24.  Gold  in  Gangue  of  Vein,  Lafayette  and  Helvetia  Mine,  Nevada. 

25.  Auriferous  Pyrites,  Gold  Hill  Lode,  Helvetia  mine. 

26.  Gold  and  Peroxide  Iron,  Lafayette  and  Helvetia  mine. 

27.  Serpentine  from  the  Lode,  Lafayette  Hill. 

28.  Pyritiferous  and  Variegated,  Lafayette  Hill. 

29.  Gold  in  Quartz,  Empire  Co.,  Ophir  Hill. 

30.  Gold  in  Pyrites,  Empire  Co.,  Ophir  Hill. 

31.  Ores  of  the  Greenstone,  Empire  Co.,  Ophir  Hill. 

32.  Ores  Pyritiferous,  Empire  Co.,  Ophir  Hill. 

34.  Discoloration  of  Quartz  by  Gold,  Empire  Co.,  Ophir  Hill. 

35.  Gold  in  Quartz,  Gold  Hill  mine. 

36.  Auriferous  Pyrites  in  Quartz,  Gold  Hill  mine. 

37.  Auriferous  Cellular  Quartz,  Gold  Hill  mine. 

38.  Surface  Ores  and  Peroxide  Iron,  Gold  Hill  mine. 

39.  Auriferous  Quartz  in  Crystals,  Osborn  Hill  mine. 

40.  Ore  from  the  Granite,  Osborn  Hill  mine. 

41.  Ore  from  decomposed  Greenstone,  Osborn  Hill  mine. 

42.  Ore  from  the  Greenstone  Gangue,  Osborn  Hill  mine. 

43.  Gossan  containing  Gold,  Wyoming  mine. 

44.  Auriferous  Quartz,  Wyoming  mine. 


Doc.  No.  9.]                               93 

45.  Pyrites  containing  Gold,  Ben  Franklin  mine- 

46.  Ore  from  the  Greenstone,  Ben  Franklin  mine. 

47.  Conglomerate  and  Gold,  Little  York. 

48.  Trachyte,  Grass  Valley. 

49.  Auriferous  Pyrites  in  Quartz,  Mt.  George  mine. 

50.  Auriferous  Pyrites  and  Sulphur,  Mt.  George  mine. 

51.  Auriferous  Pyrites,  Mt.  George  mine. 

52.  Steatite  (Soapstone)  Jennr  Lind  Hill  (Rockg  Tunnel). 

53.  Serpentine,  Jenny  Lind  Hill.  (Rocky  Tunnel.) 

54.  Asbestus,  Jenny  Lind  Hill,  (Rocky  Tunnel). 

55.  Cellular  Quartz  and  Gold,  Lea  &  Johnson  mine,  Calaveras  Co. 

56.  Ore  from  the  Greenstone,  i^ea  &  Johnson  mine,  Calaveras  Co. 

57.  Surface  ore  of  cross  course,  Lea  &  Johnson  mine,  Calaveras  Co. 

58.  Cellular  Quartz  surface  ore,  Ranchoree  mine,  Calaveras  Co. 

59.  Auriferous  Pyrites,  Ranchoree  mine,  Calaveras  Co. 

60.  Quartz  Talc  and  Gold,  Ranchoree  mine,  Calaveras  Co. 

61.  Auriferous  Quartz,  Jones  &  Davis'  Mine,  Calaveras  County. 

62.  Pyritiferous  Quartz,  Jones  &,  Davis'  Mine,.  Calaveras  County. 

63.  Gangue  investing  Lode   Auriferous,  Jones  &  Davis'  Mine,  Cala 

veras  County. 

64.  Surface  Ores,  Jones  &  Davis'  Mine,  Calaverous  County. 

65.  Gold  in  Quartz,  Eureka  Mine,  Calaveras  County. 

66.  Arsenical  Pyrites  and  Gold,  Eureka  Mine,  Calaveras  County. 

67.  East  side  of  Lode,  do        do             do            do 

68.  Middle  of  Lode,  do        do            do            do 

69.  Average  Ores,  do        do             do            do 

70.  Graphic  Slate,  Jones  &  Davis  Mine. 

71.  Veinstone  with  Graphic  Slate,  Spring  Hill  Mine,  Calaveras  Co. 

72.  Do        Roasted,  do        do            do 

73.  Auriferous  Pyrites,  do        do            do 

74.  Gold  in  Quartz,  do        do            do 

76.  Cellular  Quartz,  Keystone  Mine,  Amidor. 

77.  Auriferous  Pyrites,     do         do  do 

78.  do  do     and  Gold,  Ariel  Mine,  Sierra  County. 

79.  Pyrites  in  Talc,  do             do        do 

80.  Proxide  Iron,  do            do        do 

81.  Calcarious  Travertin,  South  Fork,  Yuba. 

82.  Galena  and  Gold  in  Quartz,  Tuolumne  Water  Co. 

83.  do  do            do            do            do 

84.  Peroxide  Iron  and  Gold  do            do 

85.  Auriferous  Talc,  do            do 

86.  Talcose  Slate  and  Gold,  Calaveras  River. 

87.  Gossan  and  Gold,  New  York  Mine,  Stanislaus  River. 

88.  Carbonate  Line,  Almaden  Mine,  Santa  Clara. 

89.  Serpentine,  do          do             do 

90.  Carbonate  Lime  in  Cinnabar,  Almaderi  Mine,  Santa  Clara. 

91.  Cinnabar,  do        do        do        do 

92.  do  do        do        do        do 

93.  Sulphuret  Copper,  Santa  Barbara. 

94.  Carbonate  Copper,  Carson  Hill. 

95.  Carbonate  Copper,  Grass  Valley. 


94  [APPENDIX 

96.  Sulphuret  Antimony,  Mt.  Oso,  Coast  Mountains. 

97.  Carbonate  Copper  in  boulders,  Oregon  creek.  Sierra  Co." 

98.  Gold  in          do        do         do        do        do 

99.  Lignite  and  Sulphuret  Iron          do        do        do        do 

100.  Hornblende,  Monte  Diablo. 

101.  do          Canada  San  Benito. 

102.  Silicified  Wood,  Oregon  creek,  Sierra  Co. 

103.  Fossil  Leaves,  Minesota  do     do 

104.  do        do     and  Wood,  Minesota,  Sierra  Co. 

105.  Shells  of  raised  sea-beach,  containing  Ostrea,  Purpura,  Mytilus, 

Benicia. 

106.  Lignites,  Grass  Valley. 

107.  Silicified  Oak,  Grass  Valley. 

108.  Quartz  and  Gold,  No.  1  level,  Pine  Tree  Sett. 

109.  do  do     No.  2     do     do        do     do 

110.  do  do    No.  1  Cross  cut       do     do 

111.  do  do     No.  2      do   do        do     do 

112.  do  do  from  the  limestone,  Dyer  Sett. 

113.  Copper  Lode,  near  Ridly's  Ferry. 

114.  do        do     Hoyt's  Lode. 

115.  Copper  and  Gold,  Spring  Sett. 

116.  Gossan  and  Gold,  Josephine  Sett. 

117.  Copper  and  Gold  in  Quartz,          do        do 

118.  Cellular  Quartz  and  Gold,  do         do 

119.  do  do  do  do        do 

120.  do  do  do  do        do 

121.  do  do  Pyrites  with  Gold,  do        do 

122.  Graphite  and  Gold  in  Quartz,       do        do 

123.  Blue  Carbonate  Copper  and  Quartz,  Pine  Tree  Sett. 

124.  Galena  Iron  and  Gold  in  Quartz,  Mt.  Ophir  Sett. 

125.  Hydrated  Protoxide  Iron  and  Gold,  do  do 

126.  Walls  of  Lode  Auriferous,  Mt.  Ophir  Sett. 

127.  Veinstone  Pyritiferous  do        do 

128.  Galena  and  Copper,  do        do 

129.  Pyrites  in  Greenstone. 

130.  Medium  Ores  of  Mt.  Ophir. 

131.  Carbonate  Copper,  Luis  Obispo. 

132.  Agates,  do 

133.  Magnetic  Iron,  Santa  Barbara. 

134.  Do          do     in  Serpentine,  San  Francisco. 

136.  Do          do  do  do 

137.  Peroxide  Iron,  Santa  Cruz  Mountains. 

138.  Bituminous  Shales,  with  Telina,  Coast  Monterey. 

139.  Do         Impressions  of  telina  and  Venus,  with  borings  of  the 
Pholas,  Coast  Monterey. 

139.  Bituminous  Sandstone  with   Pholas  and  Teredo,  Serpulae   Coast 

Monterey. 

140.  Yellow  Sandstone  with  impressions  of  Venus,  Southeast  Monterey. 

141.  Do  do      and  Telina,  do  &0 

142.  Do  do          do  do  do 

143.  Do  do          do  Carmello  Creek. 


Doc.  No.  9.]  95 

• 

144.  Yellow  Sandstone  and  Telina,  Cormello  Creek. 

145.  Do  do  do  do  do 

146.  Do  do  do  do  do 

147.  Maotra  and  Cardium  Sandstone,  Monterey. 

148.  Argentiferous  Galena,  Alisal. 

149.  do  do        do 

150.  Carbonate  Copper  and  Gold  in  Quartz,  Alisal. 

151.  Mica  Schist  and  Sulphate  Iron,  Santa  Cruz. 

152.  Granite,  do 

153.  Serpentine  and  Bitumen,  La  Brae,  Santa  Clara  Co. 

154.  Mica  Schist  with  Garnets,  Carmello. 

155.  Carhonate  Lime,  Santa  Cruz. 

156.  Carbonate  Lime  in  Crystals,  Santa  Cruz. 

157.  Marine  Fossils,  consisting  of  Pyrula,  Telina,  Dentalia,  Cytherea, 

Butte  Co. 

158.  Matica,  Ostrea,  Mactra,  Butte  Co. 

159.  Marine  Fossils,  consisting  of  Buccinum,  Natica,  Cytherea,  Santa 

Cruz  Mountains. 

160.  Yenus,  Venericardia,  Santa  Cruz  Mountains. 

161.  Marine  Fossils,  Astarte,  San  Benito. 

162.  do        do      Venericardia,         do     do 

163.  do        do     Mytilus  Cytherea,  do     do 

177.     Infusorial  Clays,  containing  thirty-eight  species,  Monterey. 

174.  Granite,  Punta  Keys,  Marin  Co. 

175.  Limestone  and  Antimony,          do      do        do     do 

176.  Galena  Gold  and  Quartz,  Marble  Spring  Mine,  Tuolumne  Co. 
Through  the  kindess  of  Mr.  W.  P.  Blake,  Geologist  of  the  U.  S.  R.  R. 

Survey,  the  following  specimens  have  been  procured,  and  which  repre 
sent  some  portions  of  the  geology  of  the  routes  traveled  over  by  that 
expedition  during  the  past  season  : 

164.  Fossil  Wood  perforated  by  Teredo,  Colorado  Deseret. 

165.  Silicified  Wood,  do          do. 

166.  Andalusite,  drift  of  Chouchillas  River. 
1.67.     Carbonate  of  Lime,  Tejon  Pass. 

168.  Selenite,  Posa  Creek. 

169.  Amorphous  Quartz,  Four  Creeks. 

170.  Coral,  Colorado  Desert. 

171.  Basalt,  San  Joaquin. 

172.  Marine  Fossils ;  these  contain  two  species  of  Fusus  Bucinum, 

Telina,  Pecten  and  Turbo,  San  Diego  Mission. 
176.     Shark's  Teeth,  Posa  Creek. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

JOHN  B.  TRASK. 


Document  No.  14. 


IN  ASSEMBLY.]  [SESSION  1855. 

REPORT 


ON  THE 


GEOLOGY 


OF  THE 


COAST  MOUNTAINS; 


EMBRACING  THEIR 


Agricultural  Jicsourrcs  anft  illincral  |)robiiction0, 


ALSO,  PORTIONS  OF  THE 


MIDDLE  AND  NORTHERN  MINING  DISTRICTS. 
BY  DE,  JOHN  B.  TRASK. 

[B.  B.  REDDING,  STATE  PRINTER. 


To  His  Excellency,  JOHN  BIGLER, 

Governor  of  the  State  of  California  : 

DEAR  SIR: 

Pursuant  to  an  Act  passed  in  May  last  by  the  Senate  and  Assembly  of 
this  State,  authorizing  a  farther  examination  of  the  unexplored  portions  of  the 
State,  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  Report  and  accompanying  dia 
grams. 

tours,  &c. 

JOHN  B.  TRASK. 


EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT,  ) 

SACRAMENTO,  MARCH  8th,  1855.     ) 

To  the  Senate  and  Assembly  of  the  State  of  California  : 

I  have  the  honor  herewith  to  transmit  to  the  Senate,  a  Report  made  by 
the  State  Geologist,  Dr.  John  B.  Trask,  in  compliance  with  an  Act  passed  May 
15th,  1854,  entitled  "An  Act  to  authorize  and  enable  Dr.  John  B.  Trask  to 
complete  his  geological  examination  of  parts  of  the  State  of  California. 

The  copy  herewith  transmitted,  being  the  only  one  furnished  me,  it  becomes 
my  duty,  respectfully,  to  request  the  Senate  to  inform  the  Assembly  that  the 
same  has  been  received  and  is  in  possession  of  the  Senate. 

JOHN  BIGLER. 


PEEFACE. 


The  tour  of  1854  was  commenced  on  the  13th  day  of  June,  and  the 
first  month  was  spent  in  the  counties  of  Yuba,  the  lower  portion  of  Ne 
vada,  Placer  and  Sacramento,  for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  exami 
nation  of  those  sections  which  were  left  unfinished  the  previous  season. 

In  the  month  of  July,  the  southern  portion  of  the  tour  was  entered 
upon,  and  carried  through  portions  of  the  counties  of  Monterey,  Luis 
Obispo,  Santa  Barbara,  and  Los  Angeles,  to  the  northern  borders  of  the 
counties  of  San  Bernardino  and  San  Diego.  This  occupied  the  time  up 
to  the  12th  October,  a  period  of  three  months.  My  operations  were  then 
transferred  to  the  agricultural  districts  west  of  the  Sacramento  River, 
through  the  counties  of  Yolo,  Sutter,  Butte,  Shasta,  Trinity,  and  the 
eastern  part  of  Klamath.  The  time  occupied  in  these  sections  was  two 
months.  At  this  time  1  returned  to  the  mining  counties  for  the  purpose 
of  collecting  such  statistics  as  the  short  period  of  time  allowed. 

The  whole  time  occupied  in  the  mines  proper,  was  three  weeks ;  the 
first  part  Of  the  season  being  spent  in  the  agricultural  districts  ot  those 
counties,  almost  exclusively. 

The  tour  occupied  a  period  of  six  months  and  twenty-two  days  of 
active  labor  in  the  field. 


EEPOET. 


This  report  will  embrace  the  investigation  of  the  Coast  Mountains,  commen 
cing  near  the  point  of  termination  of  the  tour  conducted  during  the  summer  of 
1853,  and  ending  at  the  northern  boundaries  of  the  Counties  of  San  Bernadino 
and  San  Diego  during  the  summer  and  early  part  of  the  autumn  of  1854.  The 
tour  of  1853  in  the  Coast  Mountains  terminated  a  few  miles  south  of  the 
river  Nacismieiito,  in  the  County  of  Monterey. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  COAST  MOUNTAINS. 

In  the  report  on  the  "  Geology  of  parts  of  the  Coast  Mountains,"  presented 
and  published  by  the  fifth  session  of  the  Legislature,  it  will  be  remembered  that 
this  chain  of  mountains  laid  down  as  forming  the  coast  line  of  this  State,  ex 
tended  from  the  42nd  parallel  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  same.  This  pre 
sumption  was  founded  on  the  erroneous  positions  of  the  southern  terminus  of 
this  chain,  as  laid  down  on  the  older,  and  also  the  more  recent  maps  of  the 
State,  conjoined  with  the  misapprehension  of  many  individuals  who  reside  on 
different  points  of  the  coast  line,  and  who  have  blended  the  base  of  another  and 
a  distinct  mountain  chain  with  those  belonging  to  the  coast  chain  proper;  these, 
it  will  be  seen,  have  no  other  connection  with  the  latter,  other  than  to  traverse 
its  line  of  trend  at  nearly  right  angles  to  its  course. 

From  the  Nacismiento  River  the  coast  line  of  mountains  continue  on  a  line, 
which  is  nearly  direct  with  the  trend  of  that  portion  of  the  chain  which  extends 
from  Point  Pinos  to  the  river  above  named,  and  which  forms  one  of  the  south 
ern  boundaries  of  the  County  of  Monterey  ;  the  line  being  south  nearly  fifty 
degrees  east  to  their  northern  termini  or  junction  with  the  San  Bernadino  chain. 
The  latter  mountains  have  their  western  termination  in  the  vicinity  of  Points 
Aguilla  and  Conception;  beyond  this  to  the  south,  the  mountains  which  front 
the  ocean  are  derived  from  this  chain  or  its  spurs,  which  are  often  projected 
nearly  to  the  water-line  of  the  sea. 

After  crossing  the  Nacismieiito  River,  the  coast  chain  becomes  exceedingly 
rugged  and  irregular,  losing  in  a  great  measure  that  parallelism  of  ridges  which 
they  have  heretofore  maintained  in  the  more  northern  districts,  from  this  cause 
often  they  become  almost  absolutely  impassable,  at  other  points  than  those  used 
for  public  high  ways; -in  many  canons  south  and  east  of  their  junction,  water  is 
2 


10 

scarcely  to  be  found,  and  which,  as  a  consequence,  renders  their  study  a  difficult 
and  laborious  task. 

Between  the  middle  and  eastern  ridges  of  this  part  of  the  chain  and  at  a 
distance  of  about  thirty  miles  south  of  the  intersection  of  the  Monte  Diablo 
range  there  are  some  valley  districts  occupied  as  ranches  for  grazing  purposes, 
but'the  major  part  of  the  entire  district  present  but  few  inducements  that  invite 
it  to  a  permanent  and  extensive  population. 

The  general  characteristics  of  the  mountains  west  of  the  central  portion  of 
the  chain,  are  repulsive  in  their  character,  and  ill  adapted  to  any  other  than 
those  purposes  to  which  this  part  of  the  chain  is  applied,  viz:  that  of  affording 
pasturage  for  wild  cattle  and  the  rearing  of  sheep. 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  central  ridges,  the  intervening  country  lying  be 
tween  them  partakes  much  more  of  the  character  which  is  found  to  prevail  in 
many  of  the  more  northern  parts  of  the  line  ;  somewhat  extended  valley  sec 
tions,  occurring  at  long  intervals,  and  again  breaking  up  into  rough  and  jagged 
peaks,  with  here  and  there  small  plats,  with  detached  portions  of  wild  herds 
that  roam  these  hills  almost  unknown  and  unowned. 

The  ascent  to  the  eastern  ridges  is  abrupt,  and  the  eastern  declivities  are 
much  of  the  same  character,  until  the  plains  of  the  Tulare  lying  at  their  base 
is  approached,  when  the  foot-hills  present  the  same  general  characteristics  as 
those  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Monte  Diablo  range  towards  the  southern 
part  of  the  Salinas.  There  is  not  that  gradual  graduation  from  mountain  to 
plain,  which  is  incident  to  the  descent  from  the  Sierra  Nevada.  This  will  be 
found  a  prevailing  character  throughout  this  portion,  and  also  many  other  parts 
of  the  coast  mountains. 

The  western  slope  of  the  mountains  towards  the  sea,  from  Point  Lobos  in  the 
County  of  Monterey,  through  the  entire  length  of  the  County  of  Luis  Obispo, 
is  extremely  rugged  and  precipitous,  forming  a  heavy  and  bold  shore  line  as  far 
south  as  Point  Sal,  when  the  coast  begins  to  assume  a  much  smoother  and 
agreeable  aspect.  This,  however,  is  but  the  outline  appearance  of  the  plats 
as  they  descend  from  the  base  of  the  hills  in  a  gradual  slope;  for  on  reaching 
the  water-line,  the  faces  of  these  plateaus  form  perpendicular  escarpments  of 
nearly  one  hundred  feet  in  height. 

From  the  facts  at  present  in  our  possession  relative  to  those  parts  of  these 
mountains  lying  south  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco,  we  are  now  able  to  form  an 
opinion  that  will  approximate  correctness  as  regards  their  geographical  position 
and  relations,  and  it  would  seem  but  proper  that  they  should  hold  that  place 
upon  our  maps  which  they  respectively  hold  in  nature. 

With  this  view  before  us,  the  following  proposition  will  be  submitted  for  the 
classifying  the  mountain  ranges  of  this  part  of  the  State: 

For  all  that  portion  of  the  coast  mountains  south  of  the  city  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  and  following  the  line  of  the  coast  to  the  southern  part  of  the  County  of 
San  Luis  Obispo,  the  same  to  be  denominated  Coast  Mountains  and  ceasing  at 
their  junction  with  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains  which  enter  upon  the  coast 
line  near  this  point.  The  local  name  of  Santa  Cruz  Range  to  be  retained  and 
to  comprise  the  entire  group  of  mountains  which  extend  from  the  Pajaro 
River  on  the  south,  and  terminating  at  the  Presidio  Point  near  San  Francisco. 

That  range  of  mountains  commencing  on  the  south  shores  of  the  Bay  San 
Pablo,  Straits  Carquines  and  Bay  of  Suison,  and  forming  the  west  boundaries  of 
the  Yalleys  of  San  Joaqmn  and  Tulare — the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Salinas 
and  Santa  Clara  Valleys,  with  the  east  coast  of  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  to 
be  denominated  the  Monte  Diablo  Range.  (This  latter  range  having  its  south 
ern  terminus  due  west  of  the  central  portion  of  the  large  body  of  water  known 
as  the  Great  Tulare  Lake.) 

portion  of  the  Monte  Diablo  Range,  extending  from  the  head  of  the 


11 

Cafiada  San'Benito  in  the  County  of  Monterey,  to  the  Pajaros  River  on  the 
aorth,  and  forming  the  middle  eastern  boundary  of  the  Salinas  Valley,  and 
western  boundary  of  the  Valley  of  San  Juan,  to  be  denominated  the  Gabilan 
Spur. 

The  above  arrangement  differs  but  little  from  that  proposed  in  my  report  of 
last  year,  (Doc,  9,  Assembly,  pages  12,  13,  18,  19,  21,  23,)  and  becomes  neces 
sary  in  order  to  form  anything  approaching  a  comprehensive  idea  of  this  almost 
unknown  portion  of  the  State.  The  principal  and  almost  only  difference  in  this 
arrangement,  is  in  fixing  a  point  at  which  the  Coast  Mountains  appear  to  have 
their  termination,  a  point  hitherto  unsettled,  and  one  that  has  caused  more  con 
fusion,  perhaps,  in  relation  to  the  geography  of  the  State  than  any  subject  hith 
erto  engaging  the  attention  of  travelers  and  citizens.  The  true  position  of 
these  mountains  and  their  relations  with  other  chains  must,  at  no  distant  day, 
command  a  much  greater  amount  of  attention  from  the  people  of  this  State,  and 
the  Atlantic  States  also,  than  has  as  yet  been  bestowed  upon  them,  for  it  will 
be  found  that,  in  selecting  a  route  for  the  national  railroad,  the  crossing  of  this, 
or  an  adjacent  chain  will  be  necessary,  and  the  principle  involved  in  the  great 
question  upon  this  point  will  simply  be,  the  best  means  to  be  adopted  that  will 
avoid  the  transit  of  two  chains  in  place  of  one. 

A  correct  understanding  of  the  situation  of  these  ridges,  will  explain  many  of 
the  phenomena  constantly  occurring  in  these  inland  districts,  and  it  affords  us 
the  only  means  of  investigating  those  causes  of  sterility  that  are  found  to  ac 
company  and  prove  a  constant  attendant  of  extensive  areas  enclosed  within,  as 
extending  to  the  east  of  the  high  ridges  composing  the  chain. 

Their  study  then,  becomes  a  matter  not  of  scientific  interest  alone,  but  en 
gages  our  attention  in  a  practical,  and  enonomic  point  of  view  ;  it  is  fraught 
with  pecuniary  public  interest,  and  unless  fully  understood  must  result  in  pecu 
niary  loss  to  all  parties  directly  interested. 

The  altitude  of  these  mountains  is  such  that  they  have  the  effect  to  absorb 
much  of  the  aqueous  matter  carried  from  the  ocean  through  the  various  gaps 
that  occur  in  the  coast-line  proper,  and  when  the  higher  hills  fail  to  accomplish 
this,  the  increase  of  temperature,  consequent  from  the  relative  position  which 
the  mountains  hold  to  the  plain  lands  that  may  be  situated  among  the  immedi 
ate  ridges,  or  beyond  them  to  the  east,  is  such  that  it  has  the  effect  to  dissipate 
whatever  aqueous  matter  that  might  have  remained. 

This  state  of  the  meteorological  condition  of  the  atmosphere  is  admirably 
illustrated  on  the  northern  end  of  the  Salinas  and  the  southern  end  of  the  val 
ley  Santa  Clara.  These  two  districts  have  the  appearance  of  being  subject  to  a 
constant  drought,  so  far  as  external  and  surface  features  are  concerned  ;  but  a 
closer  examination  of  all  the  attendant  circumstances  that  are  to  be  met  with 
in  this  section  of  country  will  convince  the  observer  that  an  erroneous  opinion 
upon  this  subject  may  easily  be  formed,  when  mere  external  character  alone  is 
observed  during  the  daytime. 

During  the  after  part  of  the  day  in  the  summer  season,  there  is  usually  a 
dense  fog  setting  in  through  the  opening  made  by  the  Bay  of  Monterey,  which 
sweeps  across  the  Gabilan  Spur  over  on  to  the  south  part  of  the  Santa  Clara 
and  the  valley  of  San  Juan  ;  and  although  this  fog  is  often  sufficiently  dense  to 
obscure  the  view  for  any  considerable  distance,  while  it  rests  upon  the  northern 
portion  of  the  Salinas  Plains,  and  west  of  the  Gabilan,  still  it  is  not  apparent 
often  in  the  atmosphere  four  miles  east  of  that  ridge.  The  atmosphere  is  perfect 
ly  transparent,  nor  would  the  traveler  suppose  for  one  moment  that  any  mate 
rial  change  in  the  condition  of  the  air  had  taken  place,  or  that  it  was  in  any  way 
different  from  that  through  which  he  may  have  been  traveling  during  the  entire 
day. 


12 

It  is  only  at  evening  that  the  change  is  perceptible,  for  as  the  temperature  de 
creases  after  nightfall,  a  heavy  mist  from  the  condensation  of  the  moisture  held 
in  solution  by  high  temperature  takes  place,  which  is  often  equivalent  to  a  light 
rain. 

On  the  middle  portions  of  the  Salinas,  much  the  same  features  are  observed, 
and  it  is  no  uncommon  circumstance  to  be  in  a  cloud  of  mist  at  one  point,  and 
at  another  on  the  same  plain  not  three  miles  the  atmosphere  as  clear  as  nature 
can  produce  it ;  it  is  instructive  as  well  as  interesting  to  stand  in  a  commanding 
position  and  witness  the  solution  of  the  cloud  of  vapour  as  it  passes  a  given  and 
well  defined  line. 

The  same  features  are  prevalent  on  the  valley  sections  lying  east  of  the  Mount 
Diablo  Range,  and  the  effects  of  condensed  moisture  are  very  apparent  even  in 
the  western  foothills  of  these  districts.  In  this  fact  lies  one  of  the  secrets  of 
the  productive  capacities  of  the  soils  of  many  of  these  interior  sections,  and  were 
it  not  for  this  peculiarity  of  our  atmosphere  a  large  area  of  our  inland  country 
would  remain  a  perfect  Sahara,  suited  neither  for  man  or  beast. 

On  some  parts  of  the  valley  sections  there  have  been  observations  conducted 
through  a  short  period  of  the  last  year,  for  the  purpose  of  eliciting  some  infor 
mation  relative  to  the  hygrometric  condition  of  the  atmosphere  many  miles  from 
the  sea.  These  observations  if  continued  for  one  or  two  years  hence,  will  furnish 
us  valuable  and  interesting  information  relative  to  the  amount  of  atmospheric 
moisture  of  the  interior  of  the  State,  from  which  we  shall  be  able  to  deduce  some 
conclusions  of  the  productive  capabilities  of  many  parts  of  the  valleys  that  are 
now  neglected,  under  the  prevailing  idea  that  water  sufficient  for  the  propaga 
tion  of  grains  does  not  exist  in  these  sections ;  from  what  information  upon  this 
subject,  is  in  a  tangible  form,  I  am  led  to  the  conclusion  that  the  atmosphere  of 
the  central  portions  of  the  Plains  of  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento,  is  nearly  or 
quite  saturated  during  seven  months  of  the  year.  The  prevalence  of  southerly 
winds  on  these  plains  is  always  marked  by  an  increase  in  the  height  of  the  dew- 
point,  and  they  are  found  by  tables,  kept  during  the  year  1854,  to  constitute 
nearly  sixty-nine  per  cent,  of  the  winds  of  the  summer  season. 

Beyond  the  junction  of  the  coast  mountains,  the  San  Bernardino  Chain  makes 
its  inception,  and  forms  the  coast-line  for  a  considerable  distance  to  the  south. 
It  is  at  this  point  where  one  of  the  great  errors  relating  to  the  physical  geogra 
phy  of  this  part  of  the  State  has  been  committed,  viz  :  that  of  blending  the 
western  terminus  of  this  chain  with  the  coast-line  of  mountains  proper.  From 
Point  Aguilla  the  coast  begins  to  assume  a  much  more  easterly  direction,  than 
at  any  other  point  north  of  this  locality  (except  perhaps  in  the  immediate  vicin 
ity  of  Cape  Mendocino,)  and  on  passing  Point  Conception  it  pursues  nearly  a  due 
east  trend  until  arriving  at  Point  Dessolata  to  the  south  of  the  Mission  San 
Juan  Capistrano,  when  it  again  assumes  its  easterly  course  after  rounding  that 
point. 

At  a  short  distance  north  of  Point  Aguilla  the  base  of  the  San  Bernardino  chain 
fronts  the  coast,  at  times  miles  distant,  at  others  approaching  the  water-line  ; 
after  passing  the  south-eastern  point  of  the  Santa  Barbara  channel  the  chain  is 
seen  stretching  away  in  the  distance  nearly  due  east  towards  the  waters  of  the 
Colorado,  and  across  the  Jornada  del  Muerto  dividing  this  desert  into  two  un 
equal  parts. 

On  approaching  San  Pedro  in  the  county  of  Los  Angeles  we  find  that  the 
nearest  part  of  this  chain  is  not  less  than  forty  miles  distant  from  the  coast,  and 
to  the  northeast  of  this  place  the  distance  is  much  greater.  At  the  distance  of 
seventy  miles  in  the  same  direction  may  be  seen  the  high  peaks  of  San  Bernar 
dino,  and  beyond  it  again,  that  of  San  Jacinto  ;  farther  to  the  west  are  moun 
tains  near  the  Cahon  Pass,  while  to  the  left  of  this  line  of  view  and  at  nearly 
the  same  distance  are  the  rugged  peaks  of  the  Sierra  San  Jose  and  San  Gabriel. 


13 

Farther  to  the  north  and  at  the  distance  of  fifty  miles  are  the  mountains  of 
San  Fernando,  the  whole  of  which  are  but  the  more  prominent  peaks  of  this 
transverse  chain.  On  the  northern  base  of  these  mountains  flows  the  River 
Mohave,  through  the  central  and  northern  parts  of  the  great  desert. 

Within  the  district  above  named,  and  on  the  south  base  of  these  mountains 
lies  the  great  plain  of  Los  Angeles,  which  from  the  northern  to  its  extreme 
southern  lines  cannot  be  less  than  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  in  length,  with 
an  average  breadth  of  forty  miles,  comprising  within  its  limits  an  area  of  arable 
lands  equal  to  three-fourths  of  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento,  or  about  one  half 
that  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  combined. 

The  local  positions  of  the  mountains  bordering  the  western  and  southern  por 
tion  of  the  State  must  it  will  be  seen,  modify  to  a  great  extent  the  productive 
capabilities  of  the  adjoining  districts,  and  no  better  illustration  of  this  fact  is 
necessary  than  an  examination  of  the  flat  lands  lying  contiguous  to  their  base  ; 
in  the  case  before  us  the  lands  at  the  southern  base  of  the  San  Bernardino 
chain,  though  coarse  and  harsh  in  texture,  are  at  the  same  time  highly  fertile, 
while  that  found  upon  the  northern  base,  though  derived  from  the  same  sources, 
is  wholly  incapable  of  vegetable  production,  or  at  least  to  but  a  very  limited 
degree.  From  this  then  it  will  be  seen,  that  the  climatal  conditions  necessary 
for  a  healthful  and  abundant  vegetation  are  influenced  more  by  position  and  al 
titude  rather  than  from  any  defects  in  the  soil  itself. 

Hence  it  is,  that  we  find  the  Santa  Clara  and  Salinas  valleys  are  more  uni 
formly  productive,  than  the  portions  of  the  San  Joaquin  lying  immediately  to 
the  east  of  the  former,  while  at  the  same  time  the  latter  is  more  productive  than 
the  section  to  the  south  known  as  Desert,  but  which  under  favorable  circumstan 
ces  has  proved  inferior  to  none  of  the  best  lands  in  any  part  of  this  State  ;  this 
if  a  plain  contradiction  to  the  general  idea  prevailing,  and  promulgated  from 
high  sources,  that  this  portion  of  the  State  is  valueless,  and  if  individuals  see 
proper  to  publish  conclusions  made  up  from  hasty  examinations,  and  unfavor 
able  predilections,  they  must  not  expect  others  to  follow  in  their  trail,  and  per 
vert  truth  to  save  individual  responsibility. 

The  only  requisition  necessary  to  make  this  desert  a  productive  field,  suited  to 
the  growth  of  our  southern  staples,  is  the  introduction  of  water  in  sufficient 
quantities  for  irrigation.  This  done,  no  district  of  this  State  will  present  greater 
capacities. 

The  position  and  course  of  the  San  Bernardino  chain,  with  its  extent  and  al 
titude  forms  a  striking  feature  in  the  geography  of  the  State,  and  the  cliraatal 
features  incident  to  the  effects  produced  by  position  and  altitude,  are  equally  dis 
tinctive  ;  the  products  arising  from  these  peculiarities,  are  equally  marked  in  all 
their  forms,  while  its  zoology  partakes  of  the  general  mutation  which  supervenes 
to  as  great  an  extent  as  is  manifest  in  the  peculiarities  of  the  climate  ;  not  less 
characterized  are  the  native  inhabitants,  their  pursuits  and  interests;  there  seems 
but  little  to  unite  them  with  other  parts  of  the  State,  as  each  and  every  natur 
al  product,  methods  of  living,  and  political  feelings,  are  as  distinct  as  the  almost 
impassable  mountain  barrier  that  separates  them  from  the  northern  portions  of 
the  State. 


GEOLOGY  OF  THE  COAST  MOUNTAINS. 

The  geology  of  that  portion  of  the  Coast  Mountains  south  of  the  River  Na- 
cismiento,  differs,  but  little  from  that  observed  a  short  distance  south  of  that  line. 

The  talcose  rocks  and  their  derivations  extend  south  of  the  river  for  the  dis- 
ntnce  of  about  thirty  miles,  forming  a  narrow  belt,  and  flanked  on  the  south- 


14 

west  by  the  trap  rocks,  and  on  the  northeast,  by  coarse  granites  and  sienites,  at 
times  composed  almost  exclusively  of  massive  hornblende,  and  at  others  consid 
erable  quantities  of  the  latter  is  found  imbedded  among  the  other  primitive  rocks. 
The  primitive  group  of  this  section  of  the  country,  exhibits  itself  in  a  belt  of 
about  one  and  a  half  miles  in  breadth,  and  is  most  evidently  contemporaneous 
with  the  rocks  forming  the  Santa  Cruz  mountains,  and  that  part  of  the  coast 
line,  extending  from  Point  Pinos  south  to  the  northern  line  of  the  county  of 
San  Luis  Obispo. 

Among  the  magnesian  rocks  of  this  district  there  were  seen  many  small  spec 
imens  of  the  chromic  iron,  but  none  in  such  massive  quantities  as  that  'noticed 
in  the  Gabilan  Spur,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Sierra  Panoches,  near  the  southern 
junction  of  this  spur,  with  the  Monte  Diablo  range.  The  talcose  varieties  of 
the  rocks  of  these  mountains,  as  well  also  as  the  sienites,  and  granites,  have  been 
intruded  and  dislocated  by  the  quartz,  but  no  veins  of  any  considerable  magni 
tude  were  met  with,  and  there  was  but  little  indication  of  any  auriferous  de 
posits  within  them. 

On  the  head  of  a  small  creek  which  is  probably  a  tributary  of  one  of  the 
southern  branches  of  the  Nacismiento,  a  heavy  bed  of  chlorite  slate  makes  its 
appearance,  having  a  strike  east  and  west  and  dipping  to  the  south  with  a  high 
angle.  This  bed  is  cut  through  by  a  dike  of  trap  rock  having  a  dark  grey  col 
or,  and  immediately  adjoining  the  latter  is  a  small  vein  of  quartz  some  nine  in 
ches  diameter,  holding  the  same  course  and  having  a  westerly  dip.  This  vein 
contains  galena,  arifcl  sulphuret  of  molybdenum,  holding  the  same  relations  of 
mineral  disposition,  that  are  found  to  exist  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pittsburg  Mine 
in  the  county  of  Nevada. 

I  was  unable  to  discover  any  valuable  metallic  associations  in  any  of  the  rocks 
belonging  to  this  group,  and  am  forced  as  a  consequence  to  say,  that  in  this  in 
stance,  the  metallic  associations  hitherto  found  to  be  unexceptionable  in  all  other 
parts  of  the  State,  viz  :  of  gold  in  quartzose  and  talcose  rocks,  when  found  ad 
joining  each  other,  does  not  hold  good  in  this  instance,  it  is  one  of  the  very  few 
exceptions  apparently  to  that  general  rule. 

On  the  west  flank  of  the  eastern  ridges,  and  at  the  distance  of  about  twenty- 
five  miles  from  the  rancho  Santa  Maria,  there  are  beds  of  a  crystalline  or  pri 
mary  limestone,  similar  in  all  its  general  characteristics  with  that  found  in  the 
vicinity  of  Santa  Cruz  ;  a  large  proportion  of  this  calcareous  rock,  possesses  a 
high  crystalline  character,  and  is  unsuited  for  other  purposes  than  the  manufac 
ture  of  lime.  On  a  small  valley  to  the  west  of  this  bed  and  at  the  distance  of 
about  half  a  mile  west,  a  heavy  deposit  of  calcareous  travertin  is  found,  but  like 
the  toro  beds  in  the  county  of  Monterey,  the  springs  that  rise  to  the  deposit, 
seem  no  longer  to  exist  ;  this  bed  covered  an  area  of  nearly  one-fourth  of  a 
mile,  and  having  a  depth  of  nearly  seven  feet. 

The  geological  position  of  these  limestones  is  among  the  primitive  rocks  like 
its  equivalents  among  the  more  northern  parts  of  the  same  mountain  chain,  and 
is  the  same  in  age  as  that  group  extending  through  three  hundred  miles  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada. 

From  the  valley  above  alluded  to,  this  rock  extends  south  in  detached  groups 
or  beds  for  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles,  and  will  be  iouud  on  the  west  flank 
of  this  line  of  ridges  to  a  point  nearly  due  east  of  the  head  waters  of  the  Rio 
Santa  Clara  in  the  county  of  Santa  Barbara.  A  similar  group  of  these  rocks 
is  also  met  with  near  Lake  Elizabeth,  near  the  main  waggon  road  from  Santa 
Barbara  to  the  Canada  de  los  Ubas  and  the  Tejon  Reserve. 

In  the  canon  of  the  rancho  San  Francisco  the  limestone  is  frequently  met 
with  on  the  sides  of  the  hills  to  the  left  of  the  road,  but  at  this  locality  it  can 
not  be  considered  in  situ. 

The  rocks  have  been  carefully  examined  for  organic  remains,  but  in  no  instance 


15 

* 

have  I  as  yet  been  able  to  detect  the  slighest  vestige  of  organic  life,  and  from 
those  who  have  succeeded  me  in  the  examination  of  these  rocks,  I  learn  that 
they  have  met  with  no  better  success. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  impressions  of  marine  plants  at  least,  in  rocks  of 
this  character,  but  even  these  are  absent  in  the  group  under  consideration. 

A  distinguishing  feature  in  these  limestones,  is  the  small  proportion  in  mass 
which  they  bear  to  the  other  primitive  rocks  with  which  they  are  associated  and 
invested,  and  when  found  in  contact,  (as  was  the  case  in  two  instances)  with  the 
more  recent  igneous  intrusions,  their  structure  was  found  materially  changed. — 
They  were  more  often  found  imbedded  in  the  granitic  rocks  than  in  any  other  po 
sition  ;  but  little  of  the  entire  line  of  beds  possessed  a  fine  crystalline  texture, 
and  this  even  was  usually  much  discolored  by  iron. 

The  limestone  rocks  of  these  mountains  are  well  represented  on  the  west  flank 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  their  equivalents  may  be  found  in  various  mining  locali 
ties,  as  at  the  Marble  Springs,  Sonora,  Ringgold,  Murderer's  Bar,  Carson  River 
Falls,  also  as  far  north  as  the  county  of  Pluruas,  it  passes  through  all  the  inter 
mediate  counties  lying  between  Mariposa  on  the  south  and  Plumas  on  the  north. 
In  some  of  the  above  localities  it  has  been  found  to  answer  the  purpose  of  a 
good  building  material,  this  however  is  merely  local,  but  its  principal  use  in  this 
State  is  the  manufacture  of  lime. 

The  granitic  series  probably  underlies  the  entire  central  and  a  large  portion 
of  the  eastern  line  of  ridges,  although  it  does  not  make  its  appearance  upon  the 
surface  to  that  extent  which  this  supposition  would  seem  to  imply.  I  am  satis 
fied  of  this  fact  however,  from  the  examination  of  the  debris  found  in  and  about 
the  small  streams,  which  are  found  traversing  some  of  the  deep  canons  of  these 
mountains  ;  in  all  the  sedimentary  beds,  of  sand  and  drift  thus  found,  the  gran 
itic  constituents  of  the  same  formed  by  far  the  greater  proportion,  and  it  may  be 
said  constituted  their  entire  mass.  How  far  this  formation  may  extend  west 
ward,  or  towards  the  coast,  and  north  of  the  San  Bernardino  is  yet  quite  un 
certain,  as  I  am  not  aware  of  any  outcrop  of  the  granite  north  of  this  chain 
and  south  of  San  Simeon. 


TERTIARY  ROCKS  OF  THE  COAST  MOUNTAINS. 

The  tertiary  rocks  of  this  part  of  the  coast  mountains,  are  interesting  in  a 
scientific  point  of  view,  in  directing  our  attention  to  those  periods  of  the  earlier 
history  of  this  portion  of  the  western  continent,  when  it  was  submerged  be 
neath  the  waters  of  the  ocean.  The  prevalence  of  the  tertiary  rocks  in  these 
mountains  fully  corroborates  all  that  has  heretofore  been  said  respecting  almost 
the  entire  range  of  country  stretching  from  the  base  of  the  eastern  Sierras  to 
the  present  eastern  confines  of  the  sea.  On  the  summits  and  sides  of  the  hills, 
we  find  the  fossiliferous  rocks  of  this  part  of  the  country,  maintaining  the  same 
relative  positions  which  they  occupy  in  other  and  distant  parts  of  the  State;  the 
equivalents  of  the  Monte  Diablo  groups  are  found  as  well  marked  as  at  any 
part  of  that  particular  range,  while  at  the  same  time  we  find  in  this  connection 
other  beds  of  widely  different  forms,  and  belonging  to  different  periods  of  the 
same  era,  and  which  are  found  again  hundreds  of  miles  distant  in  other  direc 
tions. 

Sufficient  is  now  known  respecting  the  distribution  of  the  vertebrate  and  in 
vertebrate  animals  inhabiting  the  country  during  these  remote  ages,  that  we  are 
able  to  frame,  at  least,  an  approximate  opinion  of  the  relative  periods  at  which 
the  different  classes  of  animals  existed,  whose  remains  have  been  found  within 
the  limits  of  this  State. 


16 

With  those  relics  of  the  vertebrate  animals  now  in  our  possession,  from  the 
counties  of  San  Luis  Obispo,  Santa  Barbara  and  Los  Angeles,  and  what  has 
been  brought  to  light  in  the  Counties  of  Tuolumne,  Placer  and  Siskiyou,  it 
appears  evident  that  not  less  than  eight  species  of  these  gigantic  animals  for 
merly  existed  upon  these  shores.  The  relative  situation  of  these  remains  in  dif 
ferent  parts  of  the  State  precludes  the  idea  that  they  could  have  existed  during 
the  same  identical  period,  therefore,  it  will  probably  be  necessary  to  construct  a 
different  arrangement  than  that  at  present  acknowledged,  for  the  date  at  which 
allied  genera  and  species  in  other  parts  of  the  world  existed,  compared  to  those 
of  California. 

We  are  warranted  in  this  assumption  from  the  appearance  and  character  of 
the  marine  fossils  adjacent  to  the  district  from  which  many  of  these  bones  have 
been  exhumed,  and  as  in  the  case  of  those  remains  from  the  northern  districts 
of  the  State,  their  association  with  relics  of  the  works  of  art  would  certainly 
appear  to  bring  them  down  to  a  much  later  period  than  that  usually  assigned; 
but  of  this  subject  we  shall  treat  again  at  a  future  day,  when  farther,  but  per 
haps  not  more  decisive  evidence  is  in  our  possession. 

In  the  mountainous  districts  of  the  Counties  of  San  Luis  Obispo  and  Santa 
Barbara,  the  predominating  fossiliferous  rocks  are  miocenes  holding  an  age  con 
temporaneous  with  the  Monte  Diablo  groups.  Among  the  higher  hills  of  these 
Counties,  the  Miocene  rocks  are  in  many  instances  largely  developed;  this  will 
be  found  to  be  the  case  in  an  eminent  degree  in  the  La  Questa  San  Marcas,  a  pass 
in  the  mountains,  and  on  one  of  the  trails  from  the  town  of  Santa  Barbara 
into  the  Valley  of  San  Inez. 

The  cafion  of  this  hill  cuts  through  heavy  beds  of  sandstone,  which  is  loaded 
with  fossils  of  marine  origin,  among  which  Pectinea,  Cardia  and  Ostrea  are  in 
greatest  abundance,  while  it  is  prolific  in  univalves  and  spiral  shells,  with  other 
additional  bivalves.  Immediately  east  of  the  Mission  of  Santa  Barbara  among 
the  lower  hills,  there  is  an  extensive  bed  of  Ostrea,  the  cementing  medium  be 
ing  made  up  of  lime  with  an  admixture  of  a  small  quantity  of  sand. 

In  passing  through  the  Yalley  of  San  Inez  and  entering  the  coast  mountains 
in  the  County  of  Luis  Obispo,  the  same  fossiliferous  rocks  occur  for  forty  miles, 
and  in  a  large  valley  lying  in  the  centre  of  these  mountains  a  portion  of  the  rib 
of  a  large  whale  was  found  by  Col.  Norris,  of  the  U.  S  Land  Survey,  at  an  al 
titude  of  nearly  twenty-five  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  about 
thirty-six  miles  into  the  interior.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  the  remains  of 
these  large  cetaceans  among  the  mountains  forming  the  coast,  and  some  frag 
ments  of  similar  bones  have  also  been  brought  from  the  borders  of  the  Tulare 
Yalley.  From  careful  examinations  of  those  bones  which  have  been  brought 
into  situations  where  they  have  been  made  the  subject  of  careful  investigation, 
it  is  believed 'that  the  larger  proportion  of  all  that  have  yet  been  found,  are  re 
ferable  to  present  existing  genera  and  species,  though  from  fragments  alone,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  individualize  at  the  present  time. 

The  fossiliferous  sandstones  of  the  mountains  possess  many  of  the  lithological 
characteristics  which  are  found  among  the  rocks  of  the  same  age  in  the  more 
northern  parts  of  the  State,  '•  nd  belonging  to  the  same  chain,  and  when  differ 
ing  from  this  rule,  the  cause  will  be  found  entirely  local,  and  of  limited  extent. 
Any  diversity  in  species  that  may  be  found  imbedded  in  these  rocks,  will  be 
more  attributable  to  local  climatal  influences  rather  than  to  any  difference  in  rela 
tive  age  which  the  rocks  of  the  southern  mountains  may  hold  to  those  of  the 
northern  districts. 

In  the  County  of  San  Luis  Obispo,  at  the  distance  of  about  fifteen  miles  from 
the  coast,  and  from  thence  into  the  interior,  both  east  and  south,  are  to  be  found 
beds  containing  an  uncommonly  large  Grypha3  at  times  weighing  twenty 


17 

0 

pounds;  it  is  far  superior  in  size  to  those  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Livermore's 
ranch,  in  the  county  of  Alameda,  and  like  them,  they  at  times  have  been  found 
to  contain  the  impress  of  the  animal  that  formerly  inhabited  the  shell ;  it  is  not 
improbable  that  the  age  at  which  both  species  existed  was  contemporaneous,  the 
difference  in  species,  size  and  form,  being  attributable  solely  to  local  climatal 
effects.  Such  is  the  fact  at  the  present  time  with  the  Mollusca  inhabiting  our 
coast,  within  the  parallels  of  latitude  inclusive,  and  we  have  no  reason  that  such 
was  not  the  case  in  relation  to  the  fossiliferous  groups. 

The  large  bivalves  form  an  interesting  feature  in  the  paleontology  of  our 
State,  and  undoubtedly  are  of  different  species  from  many  already  known  in 
other  parts  of  the  world;  but  their  peculiarities  must  be  deferred  until  a  fu 
ture  period. 

The  area  over  which  the  tertiary  rocks  are  distributed,  leaves  but  little 
room  for  doubt  of  the  former  submergence  of  the  entire  district;  and  the  dif 
ferent  periods  of  this  era  points  us  to  so  many  successive  elevations,  which  were 
probably  gradual  in  their  character  If  it  should  be  questioned  that  this  was 
not  the  fact,  during  the  earlier  age  of  these  deposits,  we  would  simply  refer  the 
observer  to  the  terraced  outlines  of  the  fossiliferous  groups  from  the  present 
shore  of  the  ocean  to  the  summit  of  the  first  and  western  ridges  of  the  chain. 
These  elevatory  effects  have  undoubtedly  been  continued  through  the  subsequent 
periods  of  this  epoch,  and  will  be  considered  more  in  detail  when  the  coast  line 
of  the  southern  part  of  the  State  is  under  consideration. 


PRIMITIVE  ROCKS  OF  THE  COAST  MOUNTAINS. 

The  primitive  rocks  of  the  Coast  Mountains  consist  of  the  granitic  series,  in 
which  are  included  the  the  Sienites,  Micaschist,  Granite,  Gneiss,  Porphyries,  and 
the  older  Greenstone,  including  also  the  serpentine  rocks.  On  these  rest  the 
greater  part  of  the  older  sedimentary  rocks,  and  some  few  of  the  Pliocene  period. 
Their  general  distribution  has  been  noticed  in  the  preceding  pages  qfithis  report, 
and  it  remains  now  only  to  mention  more  particularly  the  points  at  which  they 
may  best  be  observed,  with  any  peculiarities  that  may  attend  them. 

The  granite  forms  the  summit  of  a  high  ridge  to  the  east  of  the  San  Inez 
Valley;  from  about  half  the  southern  centre  of  the  valley,  and  on  the  flanks  of 
the  mountain,  the  serpentine  rocks  creep  out  and  extend  in  a  southwest  direc 
tion  for  about  two  miles,  crossing  the  ridge  at  this  point  and  forming  its  summit 
for  about  half  a  mile.  The  entire  line  of  this  summit  is  bare  and  jagged,  and 
the  white  appearance  of  the  granite  at  a  distance  gives  it  the  aspect  of  a  large 
bed  of  quartz ;  a  closer  approach,  however,  developes  its  true  character.  I 
have  seen  but  one  other  bed  of  the  granite  rocks  of  this  State  which  presents 
the  same  peculiar  features,  and  those  are  situated  about  half  way  between  the 
town  of  Jackson  and  that  of  Volcano  in  the  County  of  Amidor.  In  the  middle 
portions  of  the  comb  of  this  ridge  is  a  large  bed  of  Micaschist,  containing 
imperfect  specimens  of  garnets  which  closely  resembles  those  found  on  the  Car- 
mello  Creek,  in  the  County  of  Monterey. 

On  the  sides  of  these  ridges  and  fronting  the  southwest,  the  sedimentary 
rocks  are  found  in  detached  masses,  with  imbedded  fossils  which  are  usually  very 
imperfect,  and  therefore,  of  little  value;  their  distinguishing  features  fixing  their 
alliance  to  the  Monte  Diablo  group.  They  maintain  a  high  angle  of  inclina 
tion  in  most  instances,  and  have  suffered  much  disturbance  from  the  subsequent 
intrusion  of  later  igneous  rocks  through  and  among  the  primitive  series  on  which 
they  rest;  many  evidences  of  the  intrusions  are  manifest  thronghout  this  entire 
range,  but  as  a  general  fact,  they  appear  much  more  local  in  their  character 


18 

than  in  many  parts  of  the  more  northern  equivalents  of  this  part  of  the  chain, 
or  more  particularly  such  as  may  be  found  in  the  Santa  Cruz  and  Monte  Diablo 
ranges. 

The  Serpentine  rocks  of  the  country  included  in  the  southern  branches  of  the 
Nacistniento  River  support  in  several  localities  heavy  beds  of  the  Miocene  sand 
stones,  the  fossils  of  which  agree  in  all  particulars  with  those'noted  as  occurring 
in  the  same  group  of  rocks  throughout  this  part  of  the  State.  On  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  talcose  series,  a  vein  of  quartz  has  cut  through  the  inferior 
rocks,  and  also  through  the  sedimentary  group,  resting  upon  them;  among  the 
sandstones  it  has  sent  out  several  lateral  veins,  and  the  points  of  contact  exhibit 
very  marked  changes  in  structure,  equally  distinguishable  with  any  of  those 
cases  noticed  in  former  reports,  where  the  contact  of  lavas  were  observed  on  an 
extensive  scale. 

Nor  are  the  changes  of  structure  confined  to  the  intrusion  of  the  latter  veins 
alone,  for  in  following  out  the  igneous  intrusions,  it  was  found  that  considerable 
dikes  of  the  trapean  rocks  were  manifest,  the  effects  of  which  were  apparent 
both'by  change  of  position  and  structure,  the  latter  to  an  eminent  degree.  An 
other  illustration  of  the  effects  of  those  late  trapean  intrusions  is  most  clearly 
marked  in  the  case  of  the  Los  Angeles  sandstone  about  one  mile  north  of  the 
town,  where  the  latter  beds  containing  impressions  of  marine  plants  and  other 
fossils  have  been  most  completely  metamorphosed,  so  much  so  was  this  the  case 
that  the  rocks  would  fracture  transversely  to  the  lines  of  stratification  with  as 
much  ease  as  in  any  other  direction.  The  fracture  was  usually  conchoidal  with 
sharp,  well  defined  edges,  and  the  fragments  had  a  distinct  sonorous  sound. 

Leaving  San  Inez  and  passing  in  a  southeast  direction  to  the  San  Fernando 
Mountains,  we  find  a  continuation  of  the  primitive  groups  which  are  apparently 
connected  with  and  continuous  into  the  coast  mountains  to  the  north;  they  are 
met  with  in  the  Cafiada  Los  Ubas,  and  are  continuous  from  thence  into  the 
coa^t  mountains  to  the  west,  and  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

The  rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Tejon  are  granitic,  consisting  of  Sienite,  Horn 
blende  Graitfje,  a  goodly  amount  of  the  more  felspathic  rocks,  containing  im 
bedded  crystals  of  hornblende  and  schorl,  with  Mica  and  hornblende  schists. 
They  evidently  belong  to  one  and  the  same  group,  having  an  age  contemporane 
ous  with  that  series  found  some  two  hundred  miles  farther  to  the  north. 
South  of  the  terminus  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  on  the  western  edge  at 
the  desert,  are  to  be  found  small  masses  of  scoria  with  small  fragments  of 
Obsidian,  the  latter  riot  abundant. 

The  above  general  characteristics  are  sufficient  to  fix  the  relative  ages  of 
these  distant  groups,  of  allied  rocks,  and  when  we  remember  that  nearly 
throughout  the  entire  range  of  the  mountains  they  traverse,  that  another  and 
widely  distinct  formation  is  found  reposing  upon  them,  the  features  of  which 
either  at  its  extremes  or  centre  are  congenerous  in  character,  or  but  slightly  va 
riant.  The  great  uniformity  thus  manifested  in  the  primitive  rocks  below,  and 
the  sedimentary  group  above  leads  us  most  irresistibly  to  the  conclusion  that 
cotemporaneous  origin  in  each  is  most  distinctly  marked. 

It  must  not  be  inferred  from  the  above  that  more  recent  disturbances  in  these 
districts  have  not  taken  place,  for  this  fact  has  been  before  noticed  in  former 
reports  while  speaking  of  other  parts  of  this  range,  and  the  same  is  also  observ 
able  in  the  district  under  consideration.  The  principal  differences  in  fossilifer- 
ons  character  among  the  superior  sedimentary  deposits  of  this  particular  pe 
riod  will  be  found  attributable  more  to  climatal  influences,  rather  than  to  any 
apparent  differences  in  relative  age;  for  latitude  exerts  a  much  less  influence  on 
species  than  temperature. 

The  differences  in  species  found  at  the  extremes  of  this  group  of  sedimentary 


19 

rocks,  are  not  more  marked  than  are  the  present  living  Mollusca  now  inhabiting 
the  waters  of  the  coast  at  corresponding  points  to  the  west  of  any  portion  of 
the  range.  At  Point  Conception  we  may  find  some  few  of  the  species  that  are 
abundant  on  other  parts  of  the  coast  north  of  this  locality,  but  as  a  general 
rule  it  will  be  found  that  the  large  majority  of  all  the  species  thus  met  with  will 
differ  very  widely  from  those,  even  one  hundred  miles  farther  to  the  west,  and 
even  at  less  distances.  The  same  rule  will  apply  to  the  fossil  organic  remains 
of  this  section  of  the  State,  and  with  much  more  strictness,  as  we  find  the  evi- 
idences  of  an  inland  sea,  whose  natural  boundaries  were  such  that  a  higher  tem 
perature  must  have  existed  than  ever  that  which  is  so  characteristic  on  the 
south  flank  of  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains  at  the  present  time. 

The  topography  of  the  country  investing  its  shores  was  mountainous,  and  the 
hills  of  sufficient  altitude  to  protect  it  from  the  harsh  winds  of  the  north;  an  aug 
mentation  of  temperature  was  the  natural  result  producing  different  organ 
isms  from  those  at  the  base  of  their  western  declivities;  it  is  thus  that  we  find 
in  the  fossil  forms  of  those  districts  the  species  that  now  exist  only  in  the  lower 
latitudes,  and  which  are  marked  by  the  Murex,  Typhis,  Area  and  Cucullea. 
On  these  premises  are  we  able  to  reconcile  some  of  the  apparent  discrepancies 
which  have  arisen,  and  place  the  deposits  in  their  proper  geological  position  as 
regards  the  periods  at  which  any  portion  of  this  group  had  their  origin,  and  it 
explains  one  of  those  causes  of  diversity  in  species  among  beds  evidently  co- 
temporaneous. 

We  have  very  conclusive  evidence  before  us  in  this  State,  that  the  climatal 
conditions  prevailing  during  the  period  in  which  the  Miocene  beds  were  forming 
was  much  greater  than  that  prevailing  at  present,  and  confined  to  particular 
districts,  though  extending  over  considerable  areas;  this  arose  evidently 
from  the  causes  above  noted.  That  the  shores  of  the  Miocene  sea  were  primi 
tive  is  proved  from  the  fact  that  these  rocks  are  imposed  directly  on  the  latter, 
thus  demonstrating  that  its  relative  age  with  that  of  the  northern  and  eastern 
chain  is  widely  different  and  far  more  recent. 

Since  the  period  of  their  deposition  other  and  important  changes  have  taken 
place,  and  upon  the  coast  line  we  find  the  superior  beds  of .  the  Tertiary 
epoch  elevated  in  regular  succession  above  the  element  in  which  they  originated. 
How  far  into  the  southern  interior  of  the  State  these  groups  may  extend  is  yet 
in  an  uncertain  state,  the  reports  to  the  present  session  of  Congress  from  ex 
plorations  of  these  districts  will  probably  determine  this  point. 


VOLCANIC  ROCKS  OF  THE  COAST  MOUNTAINS. 

We  come  now  to  the  consideration  of  another  and  different  group  of  rocks, 
found  in  connection  with  the  primitive  rocks  of  this  district.  Their  appearance 
among  the  latter  demands  some  consideration,  as  it  is  to  this  group  that  we 
must  look  for  many  of  the  mutations  observable  in  this  part  of  the  State,  as 
causes  producing  them  were  undoubtedly  instrumental  in  producing  those  mani 
fest  changes  so  frequently  observed  among  the  sedimentary  rocks  of  these  moun 
tains.  The  volcanic  rocks  of  this  part  of  the  coast  mountains  consist  for  the 
most  part  of  intrusions  of  a  scoriaceous  and  vesicular  lava,  at  other  times  it  be 
comes  much  more  compact  in  form,  and  again  exhibiting  itself  in  the  form  of  a 
light  volcanic  froth,  its  colors  are  various,  passing  through  all  the  different  shades 
from  a  yellowish  white  to  a  dark  iron-brown  and  black  with  a  semi-metallic  lus 
tre.  From  what  opportunities  occurred  for  their  investigation  I  think  there  can 
be  but  little  doubt  that  their  intrusion  took  place,  for  the  most  part,  duriug  the 
miocene  period,  as  they  appear  to  have  disturbed  this  group  much  more  seiisi- 


20 

bly  than  any  other  in  these  particular  sections.  We  are  warranted  in  this  con 
clusion  to  a  considerable  extent,  by  an  examination  of  the  equivalents  of  the 
southern  rocks,  found  nearly  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  tertiaries  situated  among  the  Buttes  in  the  county  of  Sutter.  Here  the 
recent  volcanic  series  is  found  intruded  through  the  sandstones  of  these  moun 
tains  which  bear  the  same  fossils  as  those  noted  in  the  preceding  section,  while 
at  the  distance  of  twenty  miles  to  the  north-east  the  fossiliferous  rocks  of  later 
date  are  found  entirely  undisturbed  by  any  of  those  particular  intrusions. 

The  scoriaceous  lavas  of  this  date  are  well  represented  by  a  dike  of  similar 
character  passing  through  the  upper  portion  of  El  Dorado  county,  and  which 
is  found  very  often  in  detached  masses  on  the  hills  betweeu  Georgetown  and  the 

Middle  Fork  of  the  American  River.  Specimen  No .  In  the  vicinity  of 

the  Tejon  Pass  and  on  the  desert  to  the  south  it  forms  isolated  hills  known  as 
"  Lost  Hills,"  but  in  passing  into  the  mountains  this  characteristic  becomes  im 
mediately  lost  ;  we  here  find  that  they  enter  and  cut  through  nearly  all  of  the 
primitive  rocks,  as  well  as  the  sedimentary,  and  where  large  dikes  are  formed, 
changes  of  structure  are  easily  observable,  the  original  structure  being  entirely 
destroyed. 

It  was  not  uncommon  to  find  jasperoid  rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  these  dikes, 
where  they  had  intruded  through  either  sandstone  or  slates.  In  these  cases 
every  trace  of  former  organic  existence  was  dissipated,  and  were  recovered  on 
ly  by  traveling  often  considerable  distances. 

Among  other  disturbing  agents  and  diifering  in  general  appearance  from  the 
lavas,  are  to  be  found  frequent  intrusions  of  a  recent  trapean  rock  (green  stone) 
which  is  common  in  many  parts  of  these  mountains,  but  more  abundant  in  the 
transverse  chain  to  the  south ;  these  rocks  are  found  to  penetrate  the  latter  to  their 
southern  base,  and  approach  nearly  to  the  coast  line  in  some  places  ;  they  can 
not  be  considered  of  cotemporaneous  origin  with  the  former  by  any  means,  as 
we  find  them  disturbing  a  distinct  and  more  recent  group  of  sedimentary,  as  well 
as  the  older  rocks.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  they  were  intruded  as  late 
as  the  miocene  period,  as  they  are  in  contact  with  rocks  as  late  as  those  found  on 
the  Carmello.  and  near  Monterey,  a  part  of  which  Mr.  W.  P.  Blake  considers 
as  quarternary,  and  they  certainly  are  not  earlier  than  the  Post  Pliocene. 

It  is  probable  that  these  rocks  have  been  principally  instrumental  in  disturb 
ing  nearly  all  the  late  tertiaries,  as  we  find  the  greatest  amount  of  dislocation 
among  these  rocks,  when  found  in  contact  with  this  intrusive  suite. 


GEOLOGY  OF  THE  SAN  BERNARDINO  MOUNTAINS. 

The  trend  of  this  mountain  chain  has  been  stated  as  being  nearly  due  east  and 
west ;  this  will  be  found  to  hold  good  for  the  greater  part  of  its  entire  length  ; 
and  it  now  becomes  necessary  to  trace  as  distinctly  as  possible  the  peculiarities 
of  the  geological  structure  of  its  mountains,  in  order  to  draw  legitimate  deduc 
tions  respecting  the  character  of  adjacent  arable  districts  lying  at  their  base. — 
The  inception  of  this  chain  on  the  west  was  stated  to  occur  a  few  miles  north 
of  Point  Conception,  and  to  follow  the  above  trend  nearly  or  perhaps  quite  to 
the  Colorado  River. 

The  geographical  position  of  this  chain  must  exert  a  powerful  influence  in 
modifying  the  productive  capabilities  of  the  adjoining  lands  as  well  as  also  the 
production  of  diversified  species  in  the  neighboring  seas,  which  we  find  to  be  the 
case,  the  latter  having  been  fully  demonstrated  within  the  past  year. 
^  These  mountains  are  made  up  for  the  most  part  of  the  primitive  rocks,  and  con 
sist  chiefly  of  the  granitic  series  ;  they  form  by  far  the  most  of  all  the  higher 
ridges  and  more  elevated  peaks  belonging  to  the  chain. 


21 

m 

The  primitive  series  is  flanked  on  the  south  by  coarse-grained  sandstones  in 
the  county  of  Santa  Barbara,  a  large  proportion  of  which  is  fossilliferous,  the 
species  not  corresponding  with  those  found  in  the  adjoining  mountain  chains,  ex 
cept  perhaps  to  a  very  limited  degree.  A  high  ridge  of  this  chain  lies  to  the 
north  and  east  of  the  town  of  Santa  Barbara,  and  sends  a  heavy  spur  down  to 
the  water-line  of  the  coast  a  few  miles  from  the  town  ;  this  spur  approaches  so 
closely  to  the  beach  that  the  traveler  is  compelled  to  take  its  sands  for  his  road 
a  distance  of  twelve  or  fifteen  miles,  at  the  end  of  which  he  rounds  the  base  of 
the  spur,  after  which  he  finds  a  more  agreeable  road  until  he  arrives  in  Los  An 
geles.  West  of  Santa  Barbara  the  ridge  is  more  distant  from  the  coast  line, 
but  carries  the  same  lithological  characteristics  to  the  pass  of  the  Gaviota,  and 
thence  on  to  the  Punta  Sal,  a  short  distance  beyond  which  the  base  of  the  ridge 
again  approaches  the  water-line,  and  forms  a  rugged,  bold  shore.  The  Pass  del 
Gaviota  is  a  deep,  rocky  canon  composed  for  the  most  part  of  large  boulders  of 
coarse  sandstone,  portions  of  which  contain  imbedded  fossils  of  marine  origin, 
(the  pass  furnishes  a  rough  avenue  to  enter  the  Santa  Inez  valley  from  the  coast 
and  is  sometimes  used  to  avoid  the  ascent  and  descent  of  the  La  questa  San 
Inez  in  traveling  to  or  from  San  Luis  Obispo.)  These  rocks  continue  to  the 
hills,  forming  the  south-west  border  of  the  valley,  and  are  found  also  upon  its 
northern  and  eastern  limits.  On  the  right  of  the  road  leading  to  San  Luis  Ob 
ispo  and  about  four  miles  from  the  valley  of  Santa  Inez  a  large  bed  of  Ostrea  are 
found,  and  immediately  to  the  west  among  the  lower  hills,  beds  of  sandstone  con 
taining  but  very  few  fossils.  On  ascending  the  high  hill  at  this  place  we  find 
the  equivalent  of  the  fossil  Ostrea  perched  high  upon  the  summit  of  this  ridge  ; 
the  difference  between  the  respective  levels  of  the  two  beds  being  near  nine  hun 
dred  feet,  and  the  distance  but  little  short  of  one  mile  and  a  half. 

This  is  but  one  of  many  instances  that  might  be  mentioned,  of  similar  occur 
rences  among  the  fossiliferous  groups  of  this  State,  in  which  we  find  parts  ap 
parently  of  the  same  bed  occupying  widely  different  levels  and  both  in  situ,  and 
it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  account  for  these  apparent  discrepancies  on  some 
other  hypothesis,  more  consistent  with  the  existing  facts,  than  that  of  mere  up 
lifting  from  volcanic  action  alone,  although  this  agency  has  undoubtedly  per 
formed  an  important  part,  in  many  instances,  in  elevating  parts  of  these  beds  in 
certain  localities.  It  is  very  evident  that  the  differences  in  elevation  among  the 
tertiaries  of  the  same  period,  and  as  we  have  just  seen,  parts  of  the  same  bed, 
must  be  referred  to  other  causes  than  the  one  generally  assigned  in  this  country, 
and  when  we  come  to  consider  the  species  found  in  different  beds,  their  present 
habitat  will  afford  us  a  basis  on  which  to  found  a  theory,  at  least,  that  will  in 
some  measure  account  -for  the  discrepancies  observed. 

The  geology  of  the  San  Bernardino  chain,  so  far  as  it  has  been  examined,  af 
fords  us  some  instructive  examples  relative  to  the  disposition  and  distribution  of 
the  fossils  found  upon  its  flanks.  On  both  sides  of  this  chain  we  find  the  mioceLe 
deposits,  evidently  of  the  same  period,  occupying  different  levels,  and  the  same 
beds  presenting  different  lines  of  dip  ;  in  one  case  a  great  degree  of  horizontal- 
ity  prevailing  while  in  another  the  beds  will  be  highly  inclined. 

The  fossiliferous  beds  rest  mostly  upon  the  primitive  rocks.  When  an  exception 
to  this  rule  occurs  it  is  found  to  be  entirely  local,  and  extending  over  inconsider 
able  areas,  this  may  be  considered  true  of  the  western  portion  of  these  moun 
tains,  but  how  far  to  the  east  it  may  extend  I  am  unable  at  present  to  determine. 
The  more  horizontal  beds  of  these  rocks  were  usually  found  nearest  to  the  sum 
mit  of  the  ridges,  those  upon  the  flanks  and  near  the  base  possessing  the  highest 
degree  of  inclination,  and  the  latter  occurring  on  the  southern  base  to  a  much 
greater  extent  than  upon  the  north.  This  is  easily  accounted  for  in  examining 
the  country  near  the  coast-line  in  this  vicinity.  At  the  distance  of  about  forty 


22 

miles  from  Santa  Barbara  on  the  road  thence  to  Los  Angeles,  these  mountains 
have  suffered  to  a  small  extent  comparatively  speaking,  in  those  disturbances 
which  have  been  alluded  to  as  occurring  in  the  coast  mountains  ;  this  is  manifes 
ted  a  few  miles  east  of  the  rancho  Poseto  in  the  county  of  Los  Angeles.  At 
the  distance  of  fifteen  miles  further  in  the  same  direction,  and  to  the  northward 
of  the  Conejo  ranch  eight  miles,  a  scoriaceous  lava  bursts  through  the  base  of 
the  mountains,  and  is  tound  in  the'second  range  of  hills  north  of  the  latter  lo 
cality  ;  this  continues  at  intervals  until  you  enter  the  locality  of  the  lower  moun 
tains  north  of  the  Pesos  River,  and  was  found  to  continue  eastwardly  as  far  as 
the  Semma  and  Papa,  beyond  which  point  it  was  not  observable. 

This  lava  has  burst  through  the  primitive  rocks  and  apparently  overflowed 
some  few  of  the  sandstones,  but  the  principal  effect  on  the  .sedimentary  rocks 
has  been  that  of  tilting  them  from  their  former  position.  This  volcanic  action 
has  continued,  apparently  almost  uninterrupted  from  the  eocene  or  miocene  peri 
ods  down  to  the  present  time,  though  evidently  not  to  so  great  a  degree  at  pres 
ent  as  formerly.  This  is  evidenced  by  the  continued  action  of  a  number  of  small 
volcanic  vents  at  different  distances  from  the  coast,  and  extending  from  the 
county  of  Luis  Obispo  to  the  northern  portions  of  Los  Angeles,  the  most  north 
ern  of  these  vents  occurs  on  the  south  side  of  San  Simeon  Bay  at  a  distance  of 
a  little  more  than  three  miles  from  the  ocean.  As  you  advance  south  from  -this 
point  the  next  in  importance  is  found  in  the  hills  fronting  the  coast,  on  the  rancho 
of  Guadalupe  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  of  Santa  Barbara  ;  another 
le  s  active  is  found  on  the  ranch  of  Dr.  Robbins  about  five  miles  from  the  town 
of  Santa  Barbara.  Again  at  the  Rincon  twelve  miles  from  the  town  another 
of  these  vents  is  found.  These  localities  emit  light,  heat  and  smoke  at  different 
intervals  during  the  year,  and  some  of  them  are  dangerous  to  approach  ;  they 
are  undoubtedly  closely  connected  with  the  phenomena  of  earthquakes  that  of 
ten  affect  this  district  of  country,  and  which  apparently  have  a  tendency  to  ex 
pend  their  principal  force  in  an  easterly  and  southerly  dircection.  The  records 
of  earthquakes  that  have  reached  us  from  this  section  of  country  furnish  us  evi 
dence  in  support  of  this  supposition. 

By  referring  to  the  number  of  shocks  which  have  occurred  since  26th  of  No 
vember,  1851,  up  to  July  14th,  1854,  in  this  part  of  the  State,  we  shall  find  that 
they  amounted  in  the  aggregate  to  31,  and  of  this  number  23  have  not  been  felt 
north  of  Luis  Obispo,  their  principal  force  being  exerted  south  into  the  ocean 
for  a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles  from  the  land, (as  in  the  case  of  the  marine 
volcano  25  miles  southeast  of  the  Island  of  San  Clemente,  observed  by  Capt. 
Cropper  and  officers  of  the  steamer  Cortes  on  the  1st  of  March,  1853,  arid  now 
known  upon  American  and  English  charts  as  "  Cortes  Hocks,")  and  east  be 
yond  the  Colorado  River  ;  (as  in  the  disturbances  which  occurred  on  the  desert, 
at  Camp  Yuma,  and  south  and  west  of  the  Colorado  River,  on  the  26th  of  No 
vember,  1851,  the  latter  "Mud  Geyser"  being  still  active  as  recent  accounts 
from  this  section  of  country  declare.)  The  latter  shocks  were  felt  in  various 
portions  of  Los  Angeles  county,  and  were  particularly  severe  at  the  Mission  San 
Gabriel. 

The  effects  of  these  subterranean  agents  over  so  large  an  extent  of  the  south 
ern  part  of  the  State  furnish  us  with  the  means  of  judging  of  what  the  effect 
must  be.  on  all  the  superincumbent  strata,  over  which  they  exercise  an  immediate 
influence.  The  natural  effect  must  be  either  to  raise  or  depress  the  country  in 
rather  a  uniform  manner  than  otherwise,  (as  great  intensity  of  action  is  not  man 
ifest,)  and  we  have  no  better  means  of  forming  an  opinion  than  by  an  examina 
tion  of  the  sedimentary  groups  along  the  coast-line.  A  careful  examination  of 
these  rocks  will  lead  us  to  conclusions  that  are  not  only  interesting  in  a  scientific 
view,  but  also  of  a  practical  and  economic  character,  as  their  true  positions  must 


23 

exert  a  beneficial  or  injurious  effect  upon  operations  that  will  be  presented  in  the 
improvement  of  the  soil  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

The  dip  of  these  rocks  is  peculiar  in  some  respects,  following  as  they  do  a  di 
rection  different  from  that  which  might  have  been  anticipated,  from  any  features 
which  the  relative  positions  of  the  mountains  and  plains  present  on  their  exter 
iors.  We  should  expect  to  find  a  linear  dip  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea, 
where  the  inclination  of  the  surface  is  so  regular  from  the  former  to  the  latter  ; 
but  in  place  of  this  we  find  that  the  dip  of  the  stratified  rocks  is  the  reverse  of 
this,  inclining  to  the  east,  while  those  of  the  mountain  ranges  directly  opposite 
are  found  inclining  to  the  west.  Were  these  peculiarities  limited  to  a  small 
area  they  might  be  accounted  far  from  local  causes  acting  in  such  immediate  dis 
tricts,  but  as  we  find  them  extending  along  the  coast-line  for  a  distance  of  nearly 
250  miles,  we  cannot  but  regard  them  as  the  results  of  extensive  local  action, 
elevating  the  coast-line. 

There  is  but  one  other  method  of  accounting  for  the  position  of  the  rocks, 
(extending  as  they  do  from  the  southern  shores  of  San  Simeon  to  the  northern 
lines  of  the  counties  of  San  Diego  and  San  Bernardino,)  which  is,  that  the  Is 
lands  forming  the  west  coast  of  the  Santa  Barbara  channel  were  originally  uni 
ted  and  formed  part  of  the  main  land,  holding  those  relations  to  the  plains  at 
the  east,  that  the  coast  mountains  do  to  the  valleys  of  the  Sacramento,  Salinas 
and  Santa  Clara.  There  may  be  some  reason  for  a  supposition  of  this  kind,  as 
many  of  these  islands  contain  quiet  elevated  lands,  and  the  island  of  Catalina 
is  in  reality  an  almost  unbroken  mountain  ridge,  (with  the  exception  of  what  is 
called  the  Isthmus,)  for  30  miles  in  length,  as  elevated  as  many  parts  of  the 
coast  mountains. 

Should  this  position  be  assumed,  we  must  suppose  that  an  area  of  plain  lands 
equaling  three-fourths  of  the  length  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  valleys 
by  about  200  miles  in  breadth,  (for  these  islands  extend  through  four  degrees  of 
longitude  and  nearly  six  and  one  half  degrees  of  latitude)  must  have  been  sub 
merged  during  one  or  a  succession  of  those  turbulent  periods  that  have  formerly 
been  in  existence  on  the  western  portion  of  this  continent,  or  that  a  rupture  hav 
ing  occurred,  the  inroads  of  the  seas  have  gradually  denuded  these  lands,  and 
thus  effaced  them. 

It  would  be  unnecessary  to  travel  thus  far  into  the  abyss  of  time,  to  reconcile 
a  feature  that  may  present  itself,  like  that  under  consideration,  where  we  have 
an  agent  at  hand,  in  active  operation,  and  adequate  to  produce  all  the  features 
whhh  these  rocks  manifest  ;  more  simple  and  satisfactory  will  it  be  to  account 
for  their  present  dip  by  the  agents  above  alluded  to,  than  to  seek  for  causes  be 
yond  our  comprehension  and  our  powers  of  satisfactory  demonstration. 

In  an  economical  view  these  rocks  will  claim  our  attention.  It  has  been  obser 
ved  that  the  rocks  on  the  coast-line  for  the  most  part  have  an  easterly  dip  while 
those  of  the  mountains  to  the  east  dip  in  an  opposite  direction.  The  effect  of 
this  is  to  produce  a  basin-shaped  structure,  under  the  surface  of  the  plains  and 
as  this  section  of  the  State  is  strictly  agricultural  and  but  little  improved,  it  be 
comes  an  inquiry  of  no  little  importance  to  ascertain  the  probabilities  that  exist 
for  obtaining  water  through  artesian  borings. 

The  structure  of  the  rocks  which  form  the  basis  of  the  plains  of  Los  Angeles 
are  such  that  we  may  reasonably  suppose  that  subterranean  waters  are  flowing 
among  the  slates  and  compact  sandstones  beneath  the  surface.  The  character 
of  these  rocks  should  first  be  understood  and  also  their  positions  relative  to  each 
other. 


24 


STRATIFIED  ROCKS  OF  THE  SAN  BERNARDINO  CHAIN,  AND 
PLAINS  OF  LOS  ANGELES. 

The  stratified  rocks  of  tins  chain  consist  of  clay,  clay-slate,  sandstones,  con 
glomerate  and  bituminous  shales  ;  these  comprise 'those  rocks  only  which  have 
been  observed  by  outcrop  along  the  coast-line  and  on  the  flanks  of  the  hills  to 
the  east.  Commencing  at  Point  Aguilla  we  find  the  coast-line  presenting  high 
bluffs  of  a  light  brown  sandstone,  interlaminated  with  thin  seams  of  clay  and 
slates,  possessing  the  same  color  as  the  arenaceous  rocks  in  which  they  are  imbed 
ded.  As  you  recede  from  the  sea,  the  land  is  found  to  become  depressed  to  a 
considerable  degree  until  within  a  short  distance  of  the  base  of  the  mountains, 
when  is  is  again  observed  to  be  more  rapidly  ascending.  This  fact  will  hold 
good  with  regard  to  all  the  level  lands  fronting  the  coast  from  the  above  point 
south  and  east  of  San  Pedro  in  the  county  of  Los  Angeles.. 
In  traveling  over  this  part  of  the  coast  another  general  and  striking  feature  will 
arrest  the  attention,  and  if  the  pedestrian  has  traveled  in  any  of  the  great  valleys 
of  this  State,  he  will  be  struck  with  the  remarkable  coincidence  which  is  manifest 
along  the  entire  range  of  that  terraced  structure  found  so  general  throughout  the 
whole  extent  of  those  valley  sections.  The  superficial  soil  of  the  coast  terraces 
is  composed  of  rich  mould  of  a  grayish  brown  color,  this  is  mixed  with  a  fine 
sand,  and  a  small  quantity  of  mica  witft  a  little  clay.  The  sub-soil  is  composed  of  a 
brown  loam  mingled  with  a  blue  clay  and  and  white  sand,  the  blue  clay  alone 
forming  a  thick  bed  beneath  the  whole,  and  resting  upon  the  rocky  structure 
forming  the  basis  of  these  plains  ;  this  may  be  considered  the  general  structure 
of  those  lands  laying  at  the  base  of  this  chain,  but  will  probably  be  found  local 
ly  modified  in  portions  lying  adjacent  to  the  hilly  regions. 

The  first  suite  of  indurated  rocks  beneath  this  consists  of  a  bed  of  loose  sand 
stone  seven  feet  in  thickness.  Below  this  again  is  found  a  bed  of  light  yellow  and 
brown  infusorial  clays  interlaminated  with  thin  seams  of  sandstone  ;  four  feet 
below  this  again  are  found  sandstones  of  a  brown  color  with  thin  seams  of  slate 
containing  much  calcareous  matter  thirteen  feet  in  thickness.  A  heavy  bed  of 
bituminous  shale  succeeds  the  latter  of  about  eighty  feet  in  thickness,  from  which 
issues  in  many  places  large  quantities  of  fluid  bitumen,  and  below  this  again  is 
found  a  bed  of  dark  sandy  clay  above  which  I  have  frequently  seen  waters  issue 
in  small  quantities  and  under  all  the  strata  above  named.  The  aggregate  of 
their  thickness  inclusive  of  the  alluvial  coverings  amounts  to  124  feet,  and  the 
above  description  applies  more  particularly  to  the  country  stretching  from  the 
coast-line  towards  the  east  or  the  interior.  The  following  tabular  arrangement 
giving  the  line  of  dip  will  serve  a  better  purpose  of  illustration  of  the  position 
of  these  strata  : 


25 


Alluvium  20  feet. 


Sandstone  infusorial  clays,  4  feet. 


Sandstone  and  calcareous  slate,  13  feet. 


Bituminous  shales,  60  to  80  feet. 


Dark  sand  and  clay. 
Sea. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  cliffs  and  near  the  sea  level  the  drainage  from  the  strata 
above  is  observable,  and  where  water  is  not  seen  to  issue  there  are  unmistake- 
able  evidences  of  its  presence  in  the  growth  of  plants  requiring  much  moisture 
for  their  propagation  even  within  a  few  feet  of  the  sea. 

From  the  above  section  it  will  be  seen  that  the  bituminous  slates,  from  a  heavy 
underlying  bed  to  all  the  strata  above,  and  though  apparently  firm  and  compact 
in  texture  they  admit  the  percolation  of  water,  probably  between  the  lines  of 
stratification.  The  freedom  with  which  water  issues  from  beneath  these  rocks 
is  best  observed  about  one  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the  town  of  San  Pedro,  on  the 
beach  ;  here  the  waters  come  up  through  the  sands  of  the  beach  in  the  same 
manner  as  is  observed  in  small  bubbling  springs  situated  in  soft  wet  lands. — 
From  the  appearance  of  these  plains  it  is  evident  that  the  dip  of  the  coast  stra 
ta  assumes  nearly  a  level  position  and  reversed  inclination  at  the  distance  of 
seven  or  eight  miles  east  of  San  Pedro  and  towards  Los  Angeles,  and  that  the 
edges  of  the  reversed  dips,  are  covered  by  the  superincumbent  drifts  from  the 
primitive  mountains  west  and  north  of  the  city  and  plains. 

Among  the  sandstones,  clay  and  slates  of  this  district,  are  to  be  found  large 
quantities  of  marine  mollusca  in  the  fossil  state,  they  are  usually  found  in  alter 
nating  beds,  at  times  upon  the  summits  of  the  cliffs  among  the  fine  alluvium  and 
soil,  as  in  the  high  table  ridge  west  of  the  town  of  Santa  Barbara,  or  resting  in 
soft  and  indurated  calcareous  sandstone  in  the  same  vicinity.  Again  they  are  found 
in  the  firm  sub-soil  or  upon  the  left  shores  of  the  estero  from  one  to  three  miles 
northeast  of  San  Pedro,  in  beds  ranging  from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  in 
thickness.  The  bituminous  slates  with  a  few  exceptions  contain  no  fossils  of  ma 
rine  origin;  there  are  occasionally  impressions  of  fucoids  to  be  met  with,  on  the 
surfaces  of  the  lamina  composing  the  group,  and  although  other  organic  forms 
are  almost  entirely  absent  this  fact  is  sufficient  to  prove  that  they  have  had  their 
origin  beneath  the  waters  of  the  ocean. 

The  great  extent  of  territory  which  these  shales  cover  is  rather  a  novel  as 
well  as  an  interesting  feature  in  the  geology  of  this  State.  They  manifest  them 
selves  first  in  quantities  which  entitle  them  to  consideration  as  a  distinct  forma 
tion,  in  the  upper  parts  of  the  counties  of  Santa  Clara  and  Santa  Cruz,  extend 
ing  into  the  county  of  Monterey  ;  the  district  is  small  however  when  compared 
with  that  which  we  find  further  south,  and  appears  continuous  for  a  long  distance. 
The  southern  group  is  found  to  commence  in  the  county  of  Luis  Obispo  arid  tra 
verses  the  whole  of  the  west  portion  of  that  county  and  extends  through  the 
entire  length  of  the  counties  of  Santa  Barbara  and  Los  Angeles,  evidently  un^ 
derlying  the  greater  part  of  their  territory  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea.  To 
4 


26 

what  extent  these  slates  may  pass  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ocean  is  of  course 
unknown,  but  there  are  good  reasons  for  the  supposition  that  the  distance  is  con 
siderable,  from  the  fact,  that  during  storms  when  a  heavy  swell  is  occasioned 
there  are  large  quantities  of  these  rocks  brought  up  and  distributed  upon  the 
shore,  in  fragmentary  masses.  Attached  to  these  fragments  often  are  mollusca 
and  marine  plants  belonging  to  deep  water  and  differing  widely  from  the  shoaler 
littoral  deposits  which  are  also  found  in  great  numbers.  Another  evidence  that 
this  formation  extends  for  some  distance  beyond  the  coast-line  seaward  is  the 
fact  of  the  emission  of  liquid  bitumen  and  its  appearance  on  the  surface  of  the 
ocean  miles  distant  from  the  main  land.  It  might  be  argued  that  the  currents 
of  the  ocean  would  have  the  effect  to  transport  this  material  to  considerable 
distances  from  this  shore,  and  this  is  undoubtedly  true  to  a  great  extent  ;  but  in 
forming  this  conclusion  we  should  remember  that  the  greatest  amount  of  force 
is  manifested  during  the  setting  of  the  flood  tides,  and  that  all  floating  materials 
are  soon  landed  on  our  shores  from  great  distances  at  sea.  I  have  been  inform 
ed  by  persons  engaged  upon  the  coast  that  this  bitumen  so  often  seen  upon  the 
waters  south  of  Point  Conception  has  often  been  noticed  west  of  Catalina,  and 
that  they  have  sailed  through  large  quantities  of  it  beyond  the  Island,  while  the 
waters  in  the  channel  have  been  for  days  free  from  its  presence.  Such  facts 
would  lead  us  to  infer  that  these  shales  extend  probably  as  far  to  the  west, 
forming  the  bed  of  the  ocean,  as  they  are  known  to  extend  to  the  east  under 
the  surface  of  the  extensive  plains  of  Los  Angeles,  the  distance  in  the  one  case 
being  about  equal  to  that  in  the  other. 

The  remaining  sedimentary  rocks  of  these  mountains  consist  of  sandstones  and 
slates,  the  former  composing  by  far  the  greater  bulk  thereof.  The  sandstones 
contain  the  larger  proportion  of  the  fossils  found  in  these  districts,  and  lie  in  all 
cases  superior  in  position,  to  the  bituminous  slates.  In  the  vicinity  of  Santa 
Barbara  they  form  a  large  portion  of  the  covering  on  the  flanks  of  the  moun 
tains  extending  to  j;he  summit  of  the  southern  ridge,  their  aspect  is  repulsive 
and  barren,  vegetation  being  almost  entirely  absent,  except  in  the  deep,  precipi 
tous  ravines  between  the  hills  ;  the  foot-hills  below  are  made  up  of  large  bould 
ers  having  evident  marks  of  abrasion  by  water,  and  coarse  gravely  drift  derived 
from  the  same  sources.  On  these  lower  hills  the  oak  and  indigenous  growths 
flourish,  although  the  soils  are  harsh  and  coarse,  as  they  naturally  must  be  from 
the  sources  from  which  they  have  been  derived.  This  is  but  another  evidence  of 
those  powerful  fertilizing  agents  that  are  so  lavishly  distributed  through  our 
soils  compelling  the  otherwise  sterile  hills  to  produce  abundance  for  flock  and 
herd. 

One  of  the  causes  of  this  fertility  is  found  in  an  examination  of  the  fossilifer- 
ous  rocks,  it  is  evident  from  their  appearance  that  the  animals  lived  and  died  on 
the  spots  where  their  remains  are  now  buried,  they  do  not  present  the  appear 
ance  of  a  littoral  deposit,  there  is  not  that  variety  in  species  which  we  should 
look  for  under  those  circumstances,  or  those  broken,  rolled  and  fragmentary 
remnants  usually  found  in  the  latter.  Whenever  a  bed  of  fossils  is  met  with 
in  this  section  of  the  country  among  the  indurated  sandstones,  either  the  shells 
of  the  bivalves  are  entire  or  casts  of  their  interior  exist  ;  when  the  latter  occurs 
is  is  not  unfrequent  to  find  upon  the  mould  of  the  shell  a  true  imprint  of  the  an 
imal  that  inhabited  it.  I  have  seen  the  palial  impression  of  a  Venus  with  its 
sinus  and  muscular  cicatrices  nearly  as  perfect  as  though  a  cast  had  been  taken 
from  a  recent  animal. 

The  rocks  found  in  these  mountains  and  at  their  base  contain  marine  animals, 
inhabitants  of  both  deep  and  shallow  water  ;  with  those  also  that  live  upon  the 
verge  of  highest  waters  ;  this  fact  would  indicate  that  gradual  elevation  has  been 
exerted  over  a  considerable  area  in  this  part  of  the  State,  as  forces  are  still  in 


activity  that  are  commensurate  with  the  production  of  the  features  manifested,  but 
it  should  be  remembered  that  the  area  thus  affected  is  not  applicable  to  the  en 
tire  suite  of  fossiliferous  rocks  incident  to  these  and  the  ranges  of  the  coast 
mountains. 

We  come  now  to  consider  another  group  of  sedimentary  rocks,  skirting  the 
base  and  foot-hills  of  these  mountains  and  confined  to  the  county  of  Los  Angeles 
and  northern  part  of  San  Bernardino.  These  were  traced  from  the  mountains 
lying  between  Arroya  Peros  and  Rio  Santa  Clara  on  the  west  to  a  point  east  of 
Los  Angeles  as  far  as  the  Arnaci  and  San  Jose  ranches  lying  to  the  east  and 
south  of  the  Monte. 

To  convey  a  clear  idea  of  the  position  of  these  rocks,  we  will  commence  to 
the  north  of  the  city  of  Los  Angeles,  and  at  the  base  of  the  higher  hills,  or 
where  the  sandstones  and  slates  are  found  in  direct  contact  with  the  primitive 
and  other  igneous  rocks. 

As  before  observed  the  principal  rocks  of  this  chain  are  granitic.  The  first 
rocks  of  sedimentary  origin  met  with  and  in  contact  with  the  granite  is  a  bed 
of  arenaceous  slates.  These  so  far  as  I  was  able  to  form  an  opinion  appeared 
to  be  about  thirty-five  feet  in  thickness  and  dipping  south  fiity-five  degrees. — 
Beyond  this,  coarse  sandstones  were  met  with  having  the  same  dip  interlamina- 
ted  with  their  beds  of  fine  brownish  clays.  These  rocks  apparently  have  been 
but  little  changed  by  subsequent  volcanic  intrusions  and  contained  many  fossils, 
all  of  which  were  marine  consisting  mostly  of  the  cardium  and  allied  species. 
Advancing  south  we  now  approach  the  first  foot-hills  of  the  valley  and  such  as 
are  found  within  one  mile  of  the  town  ;  here  a  change  of  character  specifically 
different  from  any  of  the  aqueous  rocks  to  the  east,  is  to  be  observed.  This  lat 
ter  suite  constitutes  the  only  material  change  of  consequence,  among  the  tertia- 
ries  of  the  San  Bernardino  chain. 

By  way  of  distinction  these  rocks  will  be  denominated  the  infusorial  group,  to 
separate  them  from  the  earlier  and  later  rocks  of  this  era,  and  as  there  will  be 
occasion  to  speak  of  them  as  occupying  the  position  of  distinct  groups,  belong 
ing  to  one  or  more  of  the  periods.  These  rocks  are  made  up  of  beds  of  sand 
stone  100  feet,  having  a  buffy  yellow  color  and  which  pass  almost  imperceptibly 
into  a  sandy  clay-slate,  and  thence  into  a  fine,  whitish,  soft  and  light  chalk-like 
deposit  16  teet,  perfectly  stratified  and  often  receiving  the  name  of  chalk  day  ; 
this  is  again  covered  by  a  light  fossil  slate  28  feet,  containing  fragments  of  small 
and  as  yet  undetermined  species  of  animals  ;  the  dip  of  these  rocks  is  very  uni 
form,  maintaining  nearly  a  vertical  position  or  but  slightly  departing  from  it. 
On  these  rests  the  drift  30  feet,  which  in  hills  fronting  the  plains  forms  an  imper 
fect  coarse  conglomerate,  made  up  of  the  sienites,  granites,  trap,  indurated  and 
metamorphic  sandstones.  All  this  suite  have  been  disturbed  by  recent  intru 
sions  of  trap  rocks  and  as  in  the  case  of  the  buffy  sandstone  half  a  mile  north 
of  the  city,  the  transition  near  the  points  of  contact  is  such  that  the  rock  will 
fracture  transversely  to  the  lines  of  stratification  as  readily  as  in  any  other  di 
rection,  the  fracture  is  always  conchoidal,  breaking  with  sharp  well-defined  edges, 
and  the  stones  when  broken  having  a  sharp  sound  much  resembling  the  dolorites. 
The  high  inclinations  of  these  beds  are  due  undoubtedly  to  the  later  intrusions  of 
the  igneous  rocks,  and  they  must  have  received  their  dip  anterior  to  the  deposit 
of  the  coarse  drift,  as  the  latter  appears  to  rest  unconformably  upon  their  up 
turned  edges.  This  is  the  fact  with  respect  to  this  entire  group  generally, 
whether  found  in  the  county  under  consideration,  or  in  any  other  part  of  the 
State,  in  which  it  has  been  observed. 

The  artesian  boring  in  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  has  developed  to  a  certain  ex 
tent  the  character  of  the  plain  beneath  the  surface  to  a  depth  of  400  feet  ;  the 
position  of  the  strata  through  which  they  have  descended  is  as  follows  (as  near 


28 

as  could  be  learned)  :  a  heavy  blue  clay  for  30  feet,  followed  by  a  bed  of  coarse 
gravel,  (drift)  18  feet  ;  clay,  sand  and  gravel  blue,  16  feet.  These  contain  small 
marine  shells  followed  by  a  thick  deposit  of  tough,  blue  clay,  150  feet,  (contain 
ing  fossils,)  the  character  of  the  earth  below  this  point  has  not  as  yet  been  as 
certained,  nor  have  they  yet  struck  the  superior  strata  of  the  sedimentary  rocks 
a  few  yards  to  the  north  of  the  well. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  INFUSORIAL  GROUP. 

This  group  of  rocks  was  found  as  far  east  as  the  foot-hills  of  Sierra  San  Jose, 
and  continue  along  the  southern  base  of  this  part  of  the  chain  to  the  south  of 
the  hills  on  the  banks  of  the  Arroyo  Peros  ;  they  were  also  observed  among  the 
hills  near  the  Conejo  and  La  Poseto  ranches.  On  the  east  bank  of  the  Santa 
Clara  River  a  small  deposit  was  found  at  an  elevation  higher  by  nearly  forty 
feet,  than  at  any  point  east  of  this  place  ;  after  crossing  the  Santa  Clara  River 
it  is  not  again  seen  until  near  the  Mission  San  Buenaventura  ;  here  it  again  as 
sumes  its  usual  position  as  regard  altitude  and  continues  thus  to  the  Mission  of 
Santa  Barbara.  After  leaving  this  locality  it  is  met  with  as  a  thick  bed  cap 
ping  a  low  ridge  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ranch  Coral,  and  also  between  the  latter 
place  and  Paso  del  Gaviote.  In  crossing  Point  Conception  the  coast  assumes  a 
more  northerly  trend,  and  the  infusorial  deposits  follow  the  same  line  and  make 
their  appearance  at  La  Espada  in  the  county  of  San  Luis  Obispo,  continuing 
along  the  line  of  the  same  direction  nearly  to  the  Bay  of  San  Simeon.  Beyond 
this  point  I  possess  no  information  of  its  existence  or  position,  until  reaching  the 
Bay  of  Carmel,  when  it  is  found  nearly  continuous  to  the  heavy  deposits  three 
miles  from  the  city  of  Monterey. 

In  the  County  of  Santa  Cruz  these  rocks  are  again  met  with  to  the  right  of 
the  road  crossing  the  Sousal,  and  also  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Pajaro  River 
near  the  junction  of  the  Pescadero.  They  are  invested  by  sandstones  and  slates 
in  nearly  every  instance  in  which  they  are  found,  and  their  uniformity  in  altitude 
is  one  remarkable  feature  attending  the  entire  group.  An  observance  of  each 
and  all  of  their  main  characteristics  may  be  noticed  by  one  locality,  viz :  near 
the  town  of  Monterey,  and  what  is  observable  here  in  this  particular,  will  be 
found  a  true  index  to  all  the  rest  of  the  group  above  alluded  to,  in  any  portion 
of  the  State.  It  will  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  respecting  these  rocks 
that  they  are  general  in  distribution  within  the  limits  of  certain  districts,  hold 
ing  as  they  do  an  average  height  above  the  sea  of  about  330  feet,  varying  at  no 
place  so  far  as  known,  over  22  feet  from  this  line;  the  linear  extent  of  the  group 
exceeds  461  miles.  Their  constancy  with  respect  to  the  tertiary,  miocene,  (or  per 
haps  later  periods)  would  induce  me  to  apply  a  name  to  this  group  that  shall  at 
.  once  identify  it  as  a  marked  feature  of  that  portion  of  the  tertiary  era  to  which 
it  may  ultimately  prove  to  belong.  Its  uniformity  of  character  in  every  partic 
ular,  connected  with  its  extent  and  associations,  fix  it  as  a  guiding  mark  that 
will  serve  to  separate  the  group  to  which  it  belongs  from  those  that  preceded  or 
followed  it;  I  therefore  propose  the  simple  term  of  the  Infusorial  period,  be 
longing  to  the  tertiaries  of  California. 

As  before  observed,  the  regularity  of  position  and  altitude  of  these  deposits 
leads  us  irresistibly  to  conclusions  respecting  the  elevation  or  depression  of  this 
portion  of  the  Pacific  coast.  The  evidences  which  they  furnish  are  to  the  effect 
that  since  the  emergence,  there  has  been  but  little  of  those  violent  disturbances 


29 

which  agitated  the  country  prior  to  that  time,  and  that  the  recession  of  the  sea 
from  those  points  has  been  gradual;  an  idea  which  is  borne  out  most  fully  by 
corroborating  evidences  in  other  and  more  distant  parts  of  the  State. 


PLAINS  OF  LOS  ANGELES. 

In  the  preceding  pages  we  have  given  a  brief  summary  of  the  general  char 
acteristics  relating  to  the  geology  of  a  portion  of  the  coast  and  San  Bernardino 
mountains.  We  shall  now  proceed  to  examine  the  probable  positions  which  the 
sedimentary  rocks  of  the  latter  chain  occupy  beneath  the  surface  of  these  plains. 
From  what  has  been  said  of  the  positions  of  the  rocks  among  the  foot-hills 
skirting  the  northern  edge  of  the  valleys,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  is  with  the  lat 
ter  or  infusorial  group  that  we  have  to  work  in  forming  conclusions  respecting 
the  structure  of  these  plains  below  the  surface.  The  great  extent  of  these 
plains  requires  more  than  a  passing  notice,  and  their  value  can  only  be  appre 
ciated  by  a  careful  examination  of  all  their  characteristics  both  below  as  well 
as  on  the  surface.  We  cannot  judge  of  the  value  of  a  district  of  country  by  a 
superficial  glance  at  its  exterior  features,  and  nothing  but  a  searching  and  dis 
criminating  view  of  its  hidden  resources  can  give  us  an  adequate  idea  of  either 
its  present  worth  or  its  prospective  facilities.  This  remark  will  apply  with  great 
force  equally  to  the  Plains  of  Los  Angeles,  the  Valley  of  the  Sacramento  and 
the  lands  bordering  it,  as  well  as  to  the  broad  district  embraced  in  the  valleys 
of  the  San  Joaquin  and  Salinas  Rivers,  especially  when  we  come  to  consider 
their  agricultural  fitness,  or  their  application  to  any  pastural  purposes.  It  is 
needless  here  to  dilate  upon  the  importance  of  a  knowledge  of  the  geological 
structure  and  mineral  affinities  which  often  influence  the  virtues  of  soils  render 
ing  them  more  or  less  adapted  to  certain  purposes  of  an  agricultural  character. 
Great  error  might  doubtless  arise  in  many  instances  were  we  to  attempt  a  judg 
ment  of  some  of  the  districts  alluded  to,  without  such  knowledge;  for  instance, 
a  stranger  passing  along  portions  of  the  Plains  of  Los  Angeles  in  our  long  dry 
summer  season  would  find  the  beds  of  streams  dry,  the  herbage  and  vegetable 
growths  seared,  the  earth  parched  and  cracked  open  as  it  lies  baked  in  the  burn 
ing  heat  of  the  sun,  the  timber  sparce  and  of  a  gnarled  and  almost  useless  des 
cription;  upon  these  external  appearances  he  would  conclude  with  great  error 
that  he  had  found  a  region  unfit  for  the  habitation  of  man,  when  in  truth, 
such  is  the  sub-structure  of  these  plains  that  their  soils  are  unsurpassed  in  fertil 
ity  by  any  others  in  the  United  States,  as  the  returning  seasons  of  rain  would 
prove  to  the  same  traveler,  when  he  should  find  himself  almost  buried  in  the 
luxuriant  growth  of  the  grasses,  wild  grain  and  herbs  of  these  districts.  And 
it  ought  to  be  observed  that  vast  portions  of  these  lands  may  be  irrigated,  so  that 
even  in  the  summer  they  can  be  brought  within  the  profitable  control  of  the 
husbandman. 

These  portions  of  the  country  which  are  not  found  to  yield  the  precious  metal, 
or  any  other  useful  mineral  products  to  any  great  extent,  can  be  interesting  in 
an  economical  point  of  view  only  with  reference  to  their  means  of  agricultural 
occupation.  It  will  be  with  the  purpose  of  precluding  erroneous  conclusions 
from  being  drawn  out  of  any  remarks  we  may  make  in  this  connection,  that  we 
propose  at  this  time  to  consider  the  geological  structure  of  these  sections  in  the 
bearing  it  may  have  upon  the  prospective  interests  alluded  to,  interests  which 
we  think  are  destined  sooner  or  later  to  test  all  the  capabilities  of  these  valleys 
for  agricultural  and  horticultural  production. 

The  first  question  in  importance  to  be  settled  on  this  subject  is  the  one  of 


30 

irrigation;  what  are  the  means  to  be  used  in  order  to  bring  within  the  reach  of 
the  farmer  a  supply  of  water  sufficient  for  the  thirst  of  the  land  and  for  the 
necessary  wants  of  stock  during  the  long  dry  seasons  of  our  climate  ?  Two 
methods  have  been  proposed  to  which  we  will  address  ourselves  at  this  time. 
The  one  is  that  of  tanks  which  may  be  found  amply  sufficient  for  present  purpo 
ses  in  supplying  the  lands  now  occupied  with  water  enough  for  the  farmer  and 
horticulturist.  The  other  method  is  by  canalling,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing 
water  from  the  rivers  out  upon  the  plains  in  sufficient  quantities  to  supply  their 
entire  surface  with  the  essential  element  of  cultivation  of  the  soil. 

The  tanking  system  has  been  used  for  many  years  in  India  and  the  oriental 
nations,  and  has  proved  successful  beyond  the  expectations  of  its  originators. 
The  positions  of  the  hills  forming  the  northern  boundary  of  the  plains  of  Los 
Angeles  are  admirably  situated  for  the  accumulation  of  water  by  this  means, 
and  the  expense  of  constructing  the  dams  necessary  for  its  retention  would  be 
comparatively  small,  when  considered  in  connection  with  the  advantages  to  arise 
from  their  erection.  There  are  many  natural  reservoirs  skirting  the  line  of  these 
plains,  which,  if  obstructed  by  small  dams,  would  furnish  water  sufficient  for  all 
ordinary  purposes  of  cultivation.  Immediately  to  the  north  of  the  city  there  is 
an  opportunity  afforded  for  accumulating  a  body  of  water  nearly  one  mile  in 
length,  with  a  breadth  of  one  fourth  of  a  mile,  and  a  depth  of  from  20  to  30 
feet,  by  the  construction  of  a  single  dam  across  the  entrance  of  the  ravine. 
This  lagoon  would  be  filled  and  kept  supplied  for  at  least  six  months  of  the  year 
from  the  rains  which  annually  fall,  and  from  which  several  remitting  springs  in 
this  vicinity  are  now  supplied.  This  is  given  as  an  instance,  but  only  one  of 
many  of  a  similar  character  which  may  be  found  to  prove  that  from  the  con 
structions  of  these  hills,  nature  seems  to  have  designed  a  plan  which  would  force 
itself  upon  the  mind  of  man  for  meeting  the  exigencies  of  our  long  dry  seasons, 
and  in  this  way  inviting  him  to  the  enjoyment  and  possession  of  her  rich  fields. 
It  is  a  practicable  and  feasible  plan  which  would  at  once  strike  the  eye  of  a  hy- 
draulist,  and  which  has  no  place  in  the  theories  of  visionary  speculation. 

The  other  method  alluded  to,  and  which  we  esteem  one  which  promises  to  b§ 
advantageous,  if  applied  in  this  region,  is  the  construction  of  a  canal  of  about 
three  miles  in  length,  which  will  divert  a  portion  of  the  water  of  the  Los  An 
geles  River  from  its  natural  channel,  and  connecting  it  with  the  semi-natural 
reservoir  spoken  of,  so  as  to  keep  it  constantly  supplied  with  an  abundance  of 
water.  An  objection  might  at  first  view  be  interposed  by  the  public  of  this  lo 
cality  to  this  latter  project,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  interfere  with  the  sup 
ply  of  water  for  irrigation  which  is  already  used  in  considerable  quantities  for 
the  lands  already  in  cultivation,  yet  a  little  reflection  will  make  it  convincing 
that  the  lands  now  irrigated  by  the  use  of  this  stream  would  not  necessarily 
suffer  from  any  scarcity  of  water,  as  its  present  wastage  is  sufficient  to  supply 
irrigation  to  at  least  double  the  quantity  of  ground  to  that  which  now  occupies 
the  area  of  irrigated  cultivation  in  that  vicinity.  This  plan  would  present  an 
other  advantage  in  the  fact  that  the  water  thus  diverted  would  be  retained  at  a 
much  higher  level  than  that  occupied  by  the  point  at  which  it  is  at  present 
taken  from  the  stream  for  its  distribution  along  the  lower  bottom  lands  border 
ing  the  river.  This  would  expand  the  area  of  distribution,  while  the  drainage 
passing  through  the  higher  terraces  to  the  north  and  west,  would  again  find  its 
level  on  the  sanjons  now  used  for  conducting  it  through  the  lower  bottoms.  This 
river  discharges  a  greater  quantity  of  water  than  that  flowing  in  Bear  River 
during  the  dry  season,  which  is  entirely  lost  in  the  loose  sands  a  few  miles  west 
of  the  City.  Here  sinks  beyond  the  control  of  the  farmer  a  sufficient  supply  of 
water  to  irrigate  successfully  a  large  surface  of  the  richest  soil,  if  it  were  saved 
by  the  plan  already  proposed,  which  might  redeem  these  lands  from  their  parch- 


31 

ed  and  arid  condition,  which  in  the  summer  months  now  prevents  the  growth 
even  of  their  indigenous  herbage  and  grass,  and  entirely  unfits  them  for  agricul 
ture.  We  have  sought  in  vain  for  any  valid  objection  to  this  proposed  use  of 
the  water  of  the  stream  alluded  to  for  agricultural  purposes  op  the  plains  be 
yond  the  City,  as  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  waters  to  escape  to  any  great 
extent  either  by  evaporation  or  sinking;  which,  as  it  is  at  present,  is  the  means 
of  robbing  the  lower  bottoms  themselves  of  a  sufficiency  of  water  for  needful 
purposes,  and  leaving  the  higher  terraces  entirely  parched.  The  sub-soil  of  these 
higher  lands,  as  already  observed,  is  composed  of  a  very  tenacious  blue  clay 
from  30  to  40  feet  in  thickness,  and  as  impervious  to  the  percolation  of  water 
as  a  solid  mass  of  granite.  The  water  on  reaching  the  clay  will  immediately 
pass  into  the  bottoms  through  the  same  avenues  which  now  convey  it,  and  it  will 
have  performed  its  double  office  of  irrigating  both  the  higher  and  lower  portions 
of  the  impending  surface.  A  proper  and  judicious  distribution  of  this  stream 
will,  I  am  convinced,  supply  abundantly  more  than  three  times  the  area 
now  under  cultivation  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  this  City,  while  the  attendant 
expense  would  be  comparatively  inconsiderable. 


ARTESIAN  BORING. 

We  come  now  to  another  means  of  obtaining  water  in  addition  to  those  men 
tioned,  and  as  the  subject  is  one  of  vital  importance  to  the  growth  and  settle 
ment  of  large  portions  of  our  State,  so  far  as  regards  its  heavier  agricultural 
productions,  I  shall  endeavor  to  elucidate  as  far  as  possible,  the  principles  in 
volved  in  the  question,  and  also  the  probabilities  of  success  in  undertaking  the  en 
terprise.  This  of  necessity  brings  us  to  a  detailed  examination  of  the  structure  of 
the  plain  from  one  extremity  to  the  other,  and  which  will  be  followed  in  as  concise 
a  manner  as  possible. 

The  City  of  Los  Angeles  is  situated  twenty  miles  from  San  Pedro  to  the 
north,  and  has  an  altitude  of  253  feet  above  tide  level,  giving  an  ascending 
grade  of  a  little  more  than  twelve  feet  per  mile.  The  level  surface  of  this 
plain  alone  will  afford  no  correct  idea  of  its  substrata,  either  in  their  positions 
or  direction  and  degree  of  inclinations,  but  may  serve  in  some  measure  as  a 
guide  to  direct  us  in  making  an  appropriate  estimate  of  the  probable  depths  to 
which  they  descend,  and  consequently,  the  probable  depth  that  will  be  required 
to  sink  these  wells  in  order  to  tap  a  perennial  stream  or  fountain ;  the  ultimate 
depth  of  boring  the  artesian  wells  will  depend  in  part  on  the  thickness  and  dip 
of  the  sedimentary  rocks  beneath,  should  it  become  necessary  to  pass  through 
them.  The  stratified  rocks  composed  of  sandstones,  slates  of  different  kinds, 
and  clays,  will  first  of  all  demand  our  consideration,  as  the  position  they  main 
tain  below  the  surface,  will  necessarily  affect  any  process  which  may  be  adopted 
for  obtaining  water,  and  this  remark  will  hold  good  whether  the  source  of  sup 
ply  shall  rest  either  above  them,  among  them,  or  below  them  all  upon  the  prim 
itive  rocks  upon  which  they  stand. 

.  In  the  preceding  pages,  when  speaking  of  San  Pedro,  it  was  observed,  that 
the  rocks  which  form  that  point,  and  also  Point  Fermen  were  stratified  sedi 
mentary  rocks,  composed  of  sandstones,  slates,  and  infusorial  deposits  between 
two  beds  of  sandstone,  and  the  whole  of  these,  are  on  the  top  of  bituminous 
shales,  the  bed  of  which  rests  conformably  upon  a  bed  of  very  dark  arenaceous 
clay,  above  which  or  rather  between  which  and  the  bituminous  shale  just  men 
tioned,  fresh  water  is  constantly  flowing  and  issuing  out.  At  a  much  higher 


32 

level  and  at  a  distance  of  twenty  miles  to  the  north  we  find  the  same  group  ex 
isting,  and  each  bed  holding  its  precise  relative  position,  which  it  is  found  occu 
pying  at  the  coast,  with  this  exception,  that  the  bituminous  shales  is  no  where 
seen  to  crop  out  in  any  of  the  hills  lying  at  the  base  of  the  mountains.  The  ab 
sence  of  this  out-crop,  however,  is  no  evidence  that  the  bituminous  shales  does 
not  exist  there,  but  on  the  contrary  we  have  strong  proof  of  their  continuation 
and  underlying  position  here  as  on  the  coast,  from  the  fact  that  the  principal 
springs  of  bitumen  are  found  among  the  lower  hills  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  outcrops  of  their  associated  rocks  as  found  near  the  sea.  As  the  organic 
forms  in  each  bed  of  the  rocks  are  precisely  identical,  we  have  good  reason  to 
believe  that  the  rocks  on  the  coast  line  are  continuously  from  that  line  to  the 
mountains  inclusive,  and  as  a  consequence  form  the  basis  of  all  the  superficial 
deposits  of  the  intervening  plains.  The  thickness  of  these  deposits,  as  deter 
mined  by  their  outcrop  amounts  to  nearly  200  feet,  and  it  is  hardly  to  be  sup 
posed  that  they  much  exceed  that  depth. 

The  dip  of  these  beds  on  the  south  base  of  the  mountains  being  much  higher 
than  those  at  San  Pedro,  it  is  probable  that  they  would  not  be  reached  by 
boring  so  soon  as  in  any  other  part  of  the  valley.  The  dip  of  the  stratified 
rocks  near  the  edge  of  the  plains,  and  at  the  point  selected  for  sinking  an  arte 
sian  well,  ranges  from  48  to  53  degrees,  and  it  will  be  probably  impossible  to 
reach  them  below  the  surface  at  that  point  at  any  distance  less  than  375  feet, 
presuming  that  their  dip  is  the  same,  or  nearly  so  at  the  distance  of  1000  feet 
from  the  outcrop.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  inclination  of  the  strata 
decreases  as  the  distance  from  hills  increases,  and  that  at  some  point  a  little 
more  than  midway  between  the  City  and  San  Pedro  these  rocks  have  a  horizon 
tal  position.  This  must  certainly  be  the  case  or  we  shall  be  forced  to  the  sup 
position  that  the  equivalent  group  on  the  coast  to  the  south  lie  unconformably, 
and  that  the  two  overlap  each  other.  This  would  be  contrary  to  all  reasoning 
upon  similar  cases,  as  there  are  no  evidences  that  there  has  been  any  volcanic 
disturbances  which  could  have  produced  a  false  position  of  such  a  character. 

The  opposite  inclination  of  the  two  extremes  of  the  group  favor  the  above 
presumption,  and  if  this  be  true,  then  the  superficial  deposits  upon  the  beds 
must  be  much  thinner  than  at  that  point  where  the  rocks  assume  a  horizontal 
line.  From  the  inclination  of  the  surface  of  the  plain  from  both  margins,  to 
wards  its  centre,  we  should  be  induced  to  suppose  that  near  the  points  of  hori 
zontal  position  of  the  basis  of  the  plains,  not  only  would  be  found  a  corres 
ponding  depression  upon  the  surface,  but  also  other  attendant  circumstances 
which  might  have  lead  us  to  infer  that  if  water  was  percolating  even  among  the 
superficial  strata  of  clays  and  other  earthy  semi-indurated  masses,  resting  upon 
the  rocks  above  referred  to.  Such  should  be  the  case  if  water  exists  among  any  of 
these  strata,  and  this  is  the  fact,  thus  furnishing  the  best  evidence  which  we  can  ob 
tain  on  this  and  similar  points.  We  find  the  water  leaking  out  of  the  lamina 
of  the  deep  clayey  sub-soil  in  quantities  sufficient  to  form  small  lagunas  and  per 
ennial  springs  for  several  miles,  and  at  a  point  not  less  than  200  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  City  of  Los  Angeles  and  twelve  miles  to  the  south  from  the  town. 
It  is  to  be  greatly  doubted  that  anything  approaching  a  constant  supply  will 
be  found  in  any  of  the  superficial  material  resting  upon  the  rocks,  notwith 
standing  wells  of  this  character  may  be  sufficient  for  the  supply  of  local  de 
mands,  and  although  they  may  rise  above  the  surface  at  first,  still  it  will  ultimately , 
be  found  that  mechanical  means  will  have  to  be  employed  in  obtaining  water  in 
sufficient  quantities  for  the  supply  of  agricultural  purposes. 

It  will  most  probably  be  necessary  to  pierce  the  stratified  rocks  before  a  su£ 
ficient  amount  of  water  will  be  obtained  for  the  ample  irrigation  of  farming  lands, 
and  to  accomplish  this  will  require  heavy  expenses  to  be  laid  out,  for  labor  at 


33 

its  present  prices  in  this  country;  yet  I  think  there  is  but  little  risk  as  to  ob 
taining  an  abundant  supply,  if  these  rocks  are  perforated.  There  is  one  condi 
tion,  however,  that  should  be  mentioned,  which  is  that  in  the  event  of  striking 
a  bed  ot  loose  sand  or  gravel  beneath  the  heavy  clay  bed,  there  is  almost  a 
certainty  of  obtaining  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  without  descending  below 
that  point.  I  have  seen  but  one  or  two  instances  which  would  lead  us  to  sup 
pose  that  such  a  presence  is  to  be  found  beneath  the  clay,  and  above  the  rocks, 
and  they  were  not  of  sufficient  extent  to  found  an  opinion  upon,  and  it  may  be 
reasonably  doubted  that  such  a  bed  of  sand  and  gravel  would  be  met  with ; 
the  evidences,  I  think,  are  against  it. 

The  thickness  of  the  superficial  deposits  and  stratified  rocks,  beneath  the  sur 
face,  so  far  as  my  opportunities  of  examination  extended,  are  as  follows:  (The 
thickness  of  the  rocks  is  from  my  own  measurement,  and  the  thickness  of  their 
superficial  covering  is  from  the  results  of  the  boring  of  an  Artesian  well  near 
the  town  of  Los  Angeles.)  Commencing  with  the  alluvium  and  descending: 

Alluvium,     -  6  feet. 

Blue  clay,  -                         -            -     30 

Bed  of  drift  gravel,  -  22 

Arenaceous  clay,  -     16 

Tenaceous  blue  clay,            -  160 

Coarse  sandstone,                       -  35 

Infusorial  sandstone  -                                    100 

Clay,  -••                                    -       16 

Fossil  Clay  slate,     -  -            30 

Total,  -    415  feet. ".- 

This  is  the  smallest  depth  at  which  water  will  probably  be  found,  except  in 
the  contingency  above  named,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  a  greater 
depth  will  be  necessary,  but  of  this  we  have  no  direct  evidence.  A  careful  ex 
amination  of  each  stratum  belonging  to  the  entire  group  of  rocks,  so  far  as  the 
same  are  uncovered  on  both  sides  of  the  plains,  did  not  enable  me  to  discover 
any  point  through  which  water  would  probably  percolate  and  issue,  except  at 
the  points  named,  to  wit:  immediately  below  the  bituminous  shales,  and  we  can 
not  reasonably  expect  to  find  it  short  of  that  point  in  boring  on  any  part  of  these 
plains.  I  speak  thus  positively,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing,  if  possible,  any 
useless  expenditure  of  money,  in  undertakings  of  this  character,  wnen  they  have 
not  for  their  object  the  penetrating  of  the  whole,  or  a  part,  at  least,  of  the  rocks 
which  underlie  the  basin;  as  from  the  evidences  before  us,  there  are  no  grounds 
for  the  supposition  that  a  permanent  supply  would  be  obtained  short  of  that 
depth.  * 

It  may  be  expected  that  some  additional  reason  should  be  given,  besides  what 
lias  already  been  advanced,  why  water  might  be  expected  to  flow  unremittingly 
from  the  depths  designated.  In  order  to  meet  such  expectation,  I  will  state 
that  an  examination  of  the  accompanying  diagram  exhibits  the  fact  that  the 
Los  Angeles  River  flows  for  miles  at  an  altitude  much  greater  than  that  occu 
pied  by  any  of  the  sedimentary  rocks  which  have  passed  under  our  considera 
tion,  and  that  for  several  miles  its  course  is  along  the  line  of  strike  and  parallel 
with  the  dip  of  the  series  belonging  to  this  group,  and  crosses  those  lines  only 
when  it  approximates  the  edges  of  the  plains,  and  where  the  drift  and  alluvium 
covers  the  whole. 

Again,  the  sources  of  the  river  furnish  a  much  greater  supply  than  is  found 
to  reach  the  valley  sections,  the  proportion  arriving  at  the  latter  point  compri- 
5 


34 

sing  about  one-third  of  the  quantity  supplied  at  the  source?.  We  cannot  ad- 
count  for  so  great  a  loss  in  volume  on  any  other  ground  than  that  of  absorption, 
and  we  are  not  left  to  presumption  in  this  case,  but  have  the  best  of  evidence 
that  such  is  the  fact,  for  in  observing  the  stream  as  it  issues  from  the  primitive 
rocks,  even  but  a  few  miles  from  the  City  we  find  that  its  volume  is  much  heavier 
than  at  any  point  below,  after  reaching  the  sedimentary  rocks.  This  is  found 
to  be  the  case  with  several  of  the  streams  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  and 
is  particularly  observable  in  the  Yuba,  West  Feather  and  Cosumnes  Rivers, 
during  medium  stages  of  water.  From  Foster's  Bar  to  the  junction  of  the  Mid 
dle  Yuba,  there  is  a  greater  volume  of  water  than  at  any  point  below  the  junc 
tion,  while  in  the  vicinity  of  Marysville  the  volume  is  nearly  fifty  per  cent  less 
than  it  is  thirty-five  miles  above,  notwithstanding  that  the  main  river  receives 
all  of  its  principal  tributaries  from  the  Middle  Yuba  down  to  its  continence 
with  Feather  River.  The  same  condition  of  things  is  observable  on  the  Co- 
sumnes  below  Cook's  Bar  and  the  Sink,  and  on  the  West  Feather  River  from 
just  above  Rich  Gulch,  and  the  same  features  are  also  distinctly  marked  on  the 
Main  Feather  as  far  down  as  the  White  Rock.  The  cause  of  this  irregularity 
in  the  volumes  of  our  principal  mountain  streams  seems  to  us  -quite  apparent. 
These  streams  which  we  have  named,  as  well  as  others,  rapidly  approach  the 
stratified  rocks  as  they  descend  towards  the  valleys.  These  rocks  are  nearly  all 
open  and  of  a  loose  texture;  the  streams,  like  the  Los  Angeles  River,  often 
flowing  for  miles  along  the  line  of  strike  belonging  to  the  groups,  and  crossing  tho 
same  only  when  they  approach  the  alluvial  deposits,  either  among  the  lower 
hills  or  at  the  edge  of  the  plains.  These  facts  being  established,  we  then  have 
another  reason  for  the  presumption  that  water  will  be  obtained  by  the  means 
suggested,  and  the  evidence  is  strong  in  support  of  the  presumption.  The  dis 
appearance  of  heavy  springs  among  the  stratified  rocks  near  the  surface,  indi 
cates  that  the  waters  which  pass  beneath  them  are  probably  discharged  into  the 
sea,  as  these  rocks  carry  a  southerly  dip  far  enough  for  this  purpose.  One  other 
fact  is  worthy  of  notice,  and  furnishes  stronger  evidence  of  the  feasibility  and 
probably  successful  termination  of  operations  by  boring  than  perhaps  any  which 
has  yet  been  adduced.  It  is  this:  on  the  high  hill  to  the  west  of  San  Pedro, 
about  four  miles  distant  from  the  shore,  and  at  the  altitude  of  nearly  one  thou 
sand  feet,  the  out-crop  of  the  sandstones  belonging  to  A.  in  the  diagram  are  ob 
served,  being  interlaminated  with  their  seams  of  slate.  The  dip  of  these  rocks. 
on  the  hill  is  nearly  vertical,  the  inclination  being  to  the  north,  corresponding  in 
direction  with  those  on  the  shore.  From  among  these  rocks  and  at  this  height 
there  is  a  perpetual  spring  gushing  out,  which  furnishes  water  for  a  large  num 
ber  of  cattle*  which  graze  upon  this  mountain,  while  no  particle  of  water  is  to 
be  found  during  the  dry  season  for  a  long  distance  around;  there  are  no  sources 
from  which  this  water  can  be  derived  in  any  part  of  this  hill,  and  none  such  cor 
responding  in  altitude  within  thirty-five  miles  of  the  spring  mentioned.  Upon 
the  flanks  of  the  mountains  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley  at  about  the  last 
mentioned  distance,  the  identical  rocks  from  wh'urh  these?  waters  emerge,  are 
found  at  sufficient  altitude  to  furnish  such  a  spring;  the  same  rocks  are  also 
found  twelve  to  sixteen  miles  north  and  east  of  Los  Angeles,  where  the  river 
flows  parallel  with  their  course,  and  upon  them  for  nearly  three  miles.  At  tho 
distance  of  four  or  five  miles  further  west  along  the  coast,  at  a  locality  known  as 
the  "  Caw,"  there  is  also,  1  am  informed,  a  constant  stream  flowing  out -among 
the  stratified  rocks,  which  was  formerly  resorted  to  ais  a  watering-  place  by  ves 
sels,  and  by  the  seal  and  otter  hunters. 

These  facts  are  sufficient  to  induce -the  belief  that  Artesian  borings  will  suc 
ceed  on  these  plains  provided  they  are  carried  to  sufficient  doplh.  and  also  that 
failure  is  as  certain  if  due  discrimination  he  not  used  in  conducting  these  opera- 


35 

tions  When  we  consider  the  amount  of  expense  which  will  be  required  in  or 
der  to  attain  this-  object,  and  the  hazard  of  failure  to  individual  enterprise,  vc 
think  it  would  not  be  unwise  for  a  County  like  Los  Angeles  herself  to  set  an 
example  as  a  County,  by  securing-  the  idea  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  ex 
hibiting  to  them  the  proof  that  the  work  can  be  made  successful  by  proper  man 
agement,  especially  when  we  know  how  deeply  the  failure  or  success  of  such 
means  for  obtaining-  water  will  affect  the  future  growth  and  welfare  of  the  plain 
country.  After  a  successful  operation  of  this  kind  by  the  County,  individual 
enterprise  would  readily  embark  in  similar  works  wherever  they  could  be 'made 
valuable. 

The  accompanying  diagram  will  elucidate  more  clearly  the  position  of  the 
rocks  included  within  the  range  of  country  under  consideration.  The  section  is 
projected  on  a  direct  line  from  San  Pedro  to  the  City  of  Los  Angeles,  and  is  in 
tended  to  give  a  suppositions  position  to  the  rocks  beneath  the  surface,  as  deduced 
from  an  examination  of  their  out-crops  for  several  miles  along  the  borders  oi 
the  plains  on  both  sides. 

The  capital  letters,  A.  B.  0.  I),  are  levels  at  which  the  Los  Angeles  River 
flows,  at  different  points  north  of  the  City. 

A.  being  14  miles, 

B.  "      11     " 

C.  "        5     " 
I).      "        2     " 

E    Station  staff  at  San  Pedro. 
F.  Old  Fort  near  the  City. 
(1.  The  City. 

...H.  A  spring  on  the  hill  back  of  San  Pedro. 
I.     San  Pedro. 
J.    Banningville. 
K.  Outliers  of  gravel  drift  on  the  hills  back  of  the  City. 

The  numerical  figures  represent  the  rocks  and  their  coverings  and  outcrops. 

Xos.   1.  1.  1.  Infusorial  sandstone  i>22  feet  above  tide. 

"          2.  "2.  Infusorial  clay. 
"          o.  S.  Clay  slate. 

"  4.  Calcareous  Shales. 

"  f>.  Bituminous  Shales. 

"  <i.  Bed  of  gravel  drift  between  beds  of  clay. 

"  7.  Blue  clay  above. 

8.  Blue  clay  and  sand  belcw  gravel. 

"  0.  Heavy  bed  of  blue  clay  containing  marine  fossils. 

"•     10.10.  Probable  position  of  stratified  rocks  beneath  the  surface. 

In  the  diagram  at  the  point  marked  L,  we  find  a  constant  but  small  supply 
of  water;  this  supply  issues  from  between  the  beds  7.  and  8,  and  follows  the 
course  of  the  deposit  of  sandy  gravel  drift  marked  6.  in  which  water  is  usually 
found.  On  the  summit  of  the  lower  hills  marked  K.  X.  is  found  this  drift  in 
sites,  forming  outlines  of  a  larger  bed  which  formerly  existed,  and  which  has 
been  removed  by  denudation,  and  deposited  farther  down  upon  the  plains  as  in 
the  case  before  us. 

At  no  very  distant  day  the  Los  Angeles  River  has  flowed  to  the  north  of  the 
City,  and  was  undoubtedly  the  principal  agent,  concerned  in  the  removal  of  th'e 
drift  beds.  Very  unmistakable  evidences  are  observable  of  changes  of  this  char- 


36 

acter  having  taken  place  several  successive  times  iu  years  past,  and  recent]}'. 
It  has  changed  its  course  a  distance  of  three  or  four  miles!  It  is  now  pro 
ducing  the  same  effects  upon  the  high  terrace  to  the  southeast  of  the  City,  as 
it  has  already  done  farther  to  the  northwest. 


SOILS  AND  PRODUCTIONS  OF  LOS  ANGELES 

The  soil  and  productive  capacities  of  these  plains  will  now  be  considered;  for 
in  these  alone  consist  the  present  and  prospective  value  of  these  lands.  Refer 
ring  back  to  the  rocks  composing  the  mountain  chain,  which  forms  the  northern 
borders  of  these  valleys,  we  can  readily  infer  what  would  be  the  constituents  and 
general  features  presented  in  the  coverings  of  the  plains.  The  diagram  exhib 
its  two  distant  terraces,  the  lower  one  occupying  a  little  more  than  one-third  of 
the  transverse  extent  of  the  plain,  the  upper  terrace  holding  a  much  greater 
inclination  from  the  borders  towards  the  centre,  and  the  whole  having  an  aver 
age  grade  of  about  13  feet  per  mile  from  datum  to  the  level  of  the  City.  On 
examining  the  hills  either  at  San  Pedro  or  between  the  City  and  the  mountains, 
we  shall  find  most  distinct  outlines  of  other  terraces  rising  above  the  levels  of 
these  plains,  to  the  number  of  two  or  three,  beyond  which  this  characteristic  is 
not  clearly  defined. 

These  terraces  play  an  important  part  in  modifying  the  characters  of  the  soils 
upon  the  plains  adjacent,  and  as  a  consequence  affect  the  productive  capacities 
of  the  lands  as  far  as  their  direct  influence  extends.  A  peculiar  and  striking 
feature  found  in  the  soils  of  these  plains  is,  that  even  to  the  base  of  the  moun 
tains  or  their  foot-hills  the  components  of  the  earth  are  found  as  finely  commin 
uted  as  at  any  point  near  the  centre,  or  upon  the  lower  alluvial  bottom  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  settlement  known  as  Banningville. 

Along  the  northern  base  of  the  low  mountains  of  San  Pedro  the  same  fea 
tures  occur,  and  as  far  toward  either  extremity  of  the  plains  as  an  opportunity 
offered  for  an  examination,  this  peculiarity  presented  itself.  From  the  great 
preponderance  of  the  primitive  rocks  (and  those  mostly  granite,)  in  the  moun 
tains,  and  from  which  the  soils  of  these  plains  have  been  derived,  we  should 
a  priori  have  been  led  to  suppose  that  a  coarse,  harsh  and  almost  worthless 
range  of  country  lying  at  their  base  would  have  been  found,  but  quite  the  reverse 
of  this  is  true,  and  a  soil  both  soft  and  mellow  covering  these  plains  is  found  in  its 
stead.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  a  soil  more  fertile,  and  capable  of  greater  produc 
tion,  is  to  be  found  anywhere  along  our  Pacific  coast  south  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Darien,  independent  of  the  influences  of  climate.  The  depth  to  which  this  soil 
extends  below  the  surface  ranges  from  18  inches  to  six  feet — the  average  depth 
is  about  3  feet;  the  color  is  usually  of  a  dark  grayish  brown  when  dry,  and  on 
close  examination  it  is  found  to  contain  a  great  quantity  of  decomposed  vegeta 
ble  matter,  consisting  of  the  dead  roots  and  stalks  of  its  indigenous  productions. 
In  many  places  it  would  remind  a  person  of  some  of  the  rich  moulds  formed  in 
small  quantities  in  the  ravines  of  hills  producing  luxuriant  vegetation.  On  the 
lower  bottoms  this  soil  is  mixed  with  a  fine  micaceous  sand  which  renders  those 
districts  highly  fertile.  It  is  upon  these  lands  that  the  major  part  of  the  exten- 
five  grape  crops  of  this  County  are  produced;  and  a  mere  inspection  of  the  ground 
alone,  when  free  from  moisture  and  unconnected  with  the  crops  it  is  capable  of 
producing  would  be  very  apt  to  be  considered  unproductive  and  worthless.  On 
these  lower  bottoms  and  beneath  the  soil  there  is  found  a  bed  of  stiff  blue  clay ; 
(T.  Diagram)  when  the  waters  are  turned  off  from  this  earth,  and  the  sun  is 
permitted  to  dry  the  surface,  a  white  efflorescence  is  often  observable  over  con- 


37 

siderable  areas.  This  efflorescence  consists  of  the  salts  of  potasli  aud  soda,  the 
nitrate  of  potash  forming  an  important  article  in  the  crystalization.  In  other 
parts  of  these  bottoms  the  principal  salts  thus  found  upon  the  surface  are  com 
posed  mostly  of  the  carbonates  of  potash  and  soda,  and  much  smaller  propor 
tions  of  nitre.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  on  many  of  those  lands  covered  by 
these  salts  in  such  quantities  as  to  give  the  earth  a  white  appearance,  plants 
and  vegetables  requiring  much  nitrogen  for  their  healthy  propagation  are  found 
to  flourish  far  better  than  upon  many  other  apparently  more  favorable  portions 
of  these  valleys. 

The  active  fertilizing  agents  contained  in  the  lands  of  these  plains  have  been 
derived  from  two  sources;  first  the  alkaline  salts  from  the  decomposition  of  the 
primitive  rocks,  (the  granite  furnishing  the  soda  and  potash,  from  the  segrega 
tion  and  subsequent  destruction  of  the  felspar  contained  in  them:)  secondly,  the 
lime  and  nitrous  constituents  have  been  derived  from  the  marine  fossiliferous 
rocks  resting  upon  the  former;  with  the  destruction  of  mammalia  which  were  abun 
dant  in  the  earlier  periods  of  the  Miocene  tertiary.  The  greatest  proportion  of 
the  latter  salts,  however,  were  probably  derived  from  the  marine  Mollusca 
which  undoubtedly  lived  and  died  in  the  materials  in  which  we  now  find  remain 
ing  imbedded,  and  as  these  remains  constitute  large  beds  of  rocks  at  the  pres 
ent  time,  we  should  find  them  fully  adequate  to  produce  the  fertilizing  salts 
above  mentioned. 

The  great  amount  of  vegetable  matter  intimately  commingled  with  these  salts, 
and  earths  upon  the  surface  of  these  plains,  it  will  be  seen  would  render  this 
district  of  country  capable  of  an  abundant  production,  and  whether  applied 
to  agriculture  or  horticulture,  or  to  its  present  grazing  uses,  it  will  still  be  found 
capable  of  supplying  even  in  its  unimproved  natural  condition  a  sufficient  suste 
nance  for  ten  times  its  present  numbers  of  flocks  and  herds.  A  very  small  amount 
of  artificial  aid  in  the  improvement  of  these  plains  would  add  greatly  to  the  rich 
ness  and  expansion  of  the  pasture  grounds,  and  would  prevent  the  present  ne 
cessity  for  the  wide  roaming  now  so  prevalent  among  the  stock  which  is  placed 
to  graze  in  this  broad  unfenced  surface  of  country.  One  example  of  the  rare 
capacity  of  these  soils  is  exhibited,  both  in  the  higher  and  lower  plains  of  this 
and  the  adjoining  counties,  in  the  luxuriance  of  the  growth  of  the  native  produc 
tions.  Among  the  indigenous  growths,  is  a  plant  known  as  the  "  Burr  Clover,'' 
which  spreads  over  the  valleys  and  up  the  sides  of  the  hills;  this  plant  produces 
it  great  quantity  of  seeds  in  its  small  "  burrs,"  which,  as  the  stalk  dies,  is  dis 
tributed  upon  the  ground,  at  times  covering  it  to  the  depth  of  a  half  inch.  (Allu 
sion  was  made  to  this  plant  in  my  report  of  last  year  when  speaking  of  the  produc 
tions  of  the  Salinas  Valley.)  The  cattle  aud  horses  find  in  this  seed  a  nutritious 
food  upon  which  they  subsist  during  the  dry  season,  and  of  which  they  seem  to  be 
remarkably  fond,  whilst  their  tine  condition  after  living  upon  this  alone,  attests  the 
cereal  richness  of  its  qualities.  The  traveler  unacquainted  with  the  ground  over 
which  he  is  passing  would  be  both  puzzled  aud  surprised  at  the  fine  appearance 
which  the  herds  present ;  especially  when  he  is  informed  that  the  apparent  desert 
upon  which  he  sees  them  is  all  they  have  upon  which  to  feed;  for  in  passing  over  a 
district  of  country  on  which  not  a  blade  of  grass  or  any  other  edible  plant  is  visi 
ble  for  miles,  and  the  surface  of  the  ground  has  more  the  appearance  of  a  burned 
prairie  than  any  other,  being  of  a  dark  ashy  gray  color,  no  stranger  to  the 
nature  of  our  soils  and  seasons  would  for  a  moment  suppose  the  land  could  be 
ever  applied  to  any  valuable  use  or  cultivation.  The  color  of  the  surface  is  that 
of  the  seed  mentioned,  which,  as  before  stated,  covers  the  ground  in  great  .quail- 
ties.  This  fact  alone  would  be  a  sufficient  evidence  of  the  fertility  of  these 
plains  did  no  other  exist  to  which  we  might  refer,  and  it  is  to  be  much  doubted 
if  any  other  part  of  the  world  possesses  a  degree  of  fertility  to  that  extent  that 


38 

the  seeds  of  its  indigenous  productions  alone  .scattered  broadcast  upon  the  plains 
are  capable  of  supplying-  with  nutriment  ever  100,000  head  of  neat  cattle  and 
20,000  head  of  horses,  with  sufficient  to  keep  them  in  the  best  marketable  con 
dition  for  months  without  resort  to  other  subsistence.  The  stock  of  these  plains 
at  the  present  time,  is  not  over  twenty-live  per  centum  of  that  which  they  prob 
ably  maintained  some  six  or  ten  years  since,  and  for  which  there  was  always  an 
abundant  supply.  Those  only  who  arc  familiar  with  this  part  of  the  State  can 
fully  appreciate  its  productive  capacities,  and  they  can  be  realized  only  by  vis 
iting  and  subjecting  its  natural  resources  to  the  strictest  scrutiny;  this  done,  and 
J  have  no  fears  but  the  above  remarks  will  be  fully  endorsed  by  all  who  make 
the  investigation. 

The  culture  of  grain  upon  these  plains  warrants  the  most  sanguine  anticipa 
tions,  and  so  far  as  the  experiment  has  been  made,  the  yield  has  been  largely 
above  the  average  crops  of  the  more  northern  districts,  and  should  success  at 
tend  the  experiment  of  the  introduction  of  water  for  irrigation,  full  thirty  per 
(•cut  of  these  plains  may  be  applied  to  the  rearing  of  cereal  crops,  and  leave  a 
large  margin  still  for  pasturage. 

The  advantages  of  water  near  or  on  the  surface  in  this  section  of  country  is 
manifested  in  the  experimental  crops  of  last  year  on  the  "  Monte. "  a  few  miles 
east  of  the  City.  The  corn  crop  of  this  locality,  comprising  about  1800  acres,  was 
immense  in  its  yield  as  in  the  size  of  its  stalks  ;  a  large  proportion  of  it  was  planted 
late  in  the  season,  but  notwithstanding  this,  the  car  was  full-formed  and  well  tilled 
in  the  month  of  October,  and  the  crop  still  in  the  silk.  It  was  no  uncommon  cir 
cumstance  to  find  six  full  ears  on  one  stalk,  and  the  number  of  four  was  much  more 
frequent  than  any  figure  below  it.  I  think  that  it  may  be  safely  estimated  that  the 
Monte  lauds  will  yield  an  average  crop  of  sixty  bushels  to  the  acre. 

These  facts  are  noticed  more  particularly  as  corroborative  of  what  has  been  ad 
vanced  respecting  the  fertility  of  this  line  of  plains,  and  with  evidences  such  as 
have  been  adduced  on  so  grand  a  scale  as  a  mere  experiment,  there  seems  but  little 
room  left  to  doubt  the  high  qualities  for  production  which  these  lands  will  exhibit, 
should  they  be  tilled  with  judicious  management. 

We  conic  now  to  the  consideration  of  the  exotic  productions  of  this  part  of  the 
State.  The  position  of  the  mountain  chains  which  separate  this  part  of  the  Stats 
from  the  districts  north  of  it,  their  trend  and  altitude  are  productive  of  far  different 
elimatal  conditions  from  those  noticable  in  any  other  portion  of  the-  country.  After 
passing  Point  Conception  upon  the  coast,  or  crossing  the  last  ridge  of  the  San  Ber 
nardino  chain,  in  traveling  from  the  north,  the  traveler  is  ushered  into  a  widely  dif 
ferent  climate  from  any  with  which  he  has  before  become  acquainted.  The  atmos 
phere  is  entirely  divested  of  that  harsh  coldness  which  is  found  on  the  seaboard  and 
to  some  distance  in  the  interior,  and  at  the  same  time  is  unaccompanied  with  that 
scorching  heat  incident  to  the  plains  and  valleys  situated  among  or  lying  to  the  east 
of  the  ridges  comprising  the  coast  mountains  or  their  spurs  and  ranges.  From 
these  circumstances  it  will  be  seen  that  a  different  class  of  products  would  naturally 
be  found,  and  that  exotics  of  a  more  southern  nativity  would  flourish  while  their 
destruction  woYild  be  almost  certain  .beyond  this  chain.  First  among  the  exotic 
growths  of  Los  Angeles,  is  the  sweet  orange  ;  this  tree  is  found  to  flourish  well 
without  any  artificial  protection  from  the  atmosphere,  and  attains  the  height  of  forty 
feet,  and  in  some  cases  even  more  than  this ;  its  fruit  is  fully  equal  to  any  imported 
article  which  has  yet  arrived  in  this  country.  The  tree  produces  bountifully,  and  is 
in  fruit  throughout  the  whole  year.  The  fruit  is  generally  large  and  plump,  with 
the  pulp  well  tilled,  there  is  not  the  slightest  evidence  of  anvthing  uncongenial  con 
nected  with  its  appearance,  it  may  be  said  truly  to  have  become  habituated  to  our 
climate,  or  to  have  found  in  it  the  kindred  qualities  of  its  own  tropical  native  home. 
I  have  seen  the  young  tree  of  two  years  from  the  seed  producing  full,  well  matured 
fruit.  During  the  palmy  days  of  the  old  Missions,  they  were  in  the  habit  of  culti- 


rating  somewhat  extensive  groves  of  these  trees,  but  since  their  decline,  the  trees 
and  their  culture  have  been  neglected,  and  the  groves  in  many  instances  cut  down. 
It  is  a  pleasing  fact  to  know  that  the  attention  of  American  citizens  resident  in  this 
portion  of  the  State  are  turning  their  attention  to  the  propagation  of  this  delicious 
fruit,  and  it  will  be  but  a  very  few  years  before  our  markets  will  be  supplied  from 
domestic  sources  entirely.  In  the  Cities  of  Santa  Barbara  and  Los  Angeles  and 
the  adjacent  Missions  I  have  seen  the  orange  tree  forty  years  old,  and  in  some  few 
instances  much  older. 

The  citron  is  also  another  fruit  belonging  to  the  same  natural  family,  and  was 
formerly  cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  flourishes  well  at  the  present  time. 
I  have  seen  this  fruit  in  the  gardens  of  private  residences  growing  to  the  size  of  six 
inches  in  length  by  three  inches  in  diameter,  its  weight  could  not  have  been  less 
than  two  pounds. 

The  date  tree,  'fig,  pine,  apricot,  guava,  pomegranate  and  kindred  fruits  find 
a  congenial  climate,  and  a  soil  adapted  to  their  successful  cultivation,  and  are  to  be 
met  with  at  several  points  in  this  section  of  the  country.  No  attempt,  so  far  as  I 
have  been  able  to  learn,  has  as  yet  been  made  to  produce  the  pine-apple,  although 
the  climate  and  all  other  concomitant  conditions  of  locality  essential  to  its  culture 
abound.  Some  experiments  have  been  in  the  culture  of  tobacco,  which  have  proved 
highly  successful  and  satisfactory — the  Cuban  variety  is  found  to  nourish  as  well  here 
as  upon  its  native  soil ;  the  great  consumption  of  this  article  in  California  will  ren 
der  its  cultivation  an  object  of  some  considerable  importance,  and  as  so  little  care 
and  labor  is  necessary  in  rearing  it  here,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  but  a  few 
years  will  elapse  before  it  will  find  a  place  in  our  commercial  tables,  as  an  article  of 
home  production,  and  perhaps  of  export. 

The  climatal  conditions  of  these  plains,  and  the  adaptability  of  their  soils  are 
such  that  we  may  reasonably  expect,  ere  a  few  years  shall  pass,  that  cotton,  coffee, 
tea,  sugar  and  rice,  the  four  latter  articles  particularly,  will  find  a  place  in  our  cata 
logues  of  home  productions,  and  the  only  impediment  that  now  stands  in  the  way  of 
their  immediate  production,  is  the  high  price  of  labor  which  is  consequent  upon  the 
sparseness  of  population.  The  unoccupied  or  rather  unimproved  lands  extending 
from  Point  Aguilla  to  San  Diego  on  the  land  of  the  coast,  and  into  the  interior  for 
distances  varying  from  twelve  to  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  and  the  extensive  valley  ranges 
beyond  the  first  and  eastern  line  of  ridges  of  the  San  Bernardino  mountains  offer 
strong  inducements  to  the  immigrant  and  settler  who  may  be  seeking  a  permanent 
and  agreeable  home,  and  who  wishes  to  cultivate  the  soil  as  a  means  of  livelihood 
and  source  of  profit.  To  such  this  district  of  the  State  furnishes  an  ample  field  for 
his  operations,  and  equally  profitable  with  any  other  portion  of  our  wide  domain. 


40 


MINERAL  PRODUCTS  OF  LOS  ANGELES,  &c. 

A  brief  review  of  the  agricultural  capacities  of  the  soils  of  this  part  of  the  State 
has  been  given,  and  I  would  say  in  this  connection,  that  in  these  particulars  lie  the 
strength  and  principal  value  of  the  lands  throughout  the  district  generally ;  the 
mineral  resources  of  this  range  of  country  so  far  as  examined,  being  comparatively 
of  little  value. 

The  transverse  chain  of  the  Pacific  coast  (Sari  Bernardino  chain)  appear  thus 
far  to  act  as  a  barrier,  and  to  have  cut  off  almost  completely  the  rich  mineral  de 
posits  found  in  the  mountains  of  the  more  northern  sections.  There  are  a  few  lo 
calities,  it  is  true,  where  auriferous  deposits  of  limited  extent  are  met  with,  but  no 
general  features  which  would  in  the  slightest  degree  indicate  that  they  extend  over 
any  considerable  areas.  So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  both  from  personal 
inspection  and  information  derived  from  others  of  localities  which  I  have  not  visited, 
I  entertain  the  opinion  that  no  extensive  deposits  of  gold  will  be  found  south  of 
these  mountains,  and  few,  probably,  that  would  warrant  mining  explanation.  There 
are  some  evidences  existing  that  silver  may  be  met  with  in  the  southeastern  spurs 
of  this  chain,  but  to  what  extent  is  yet  undetermined.  The  limestone  rocks  of  the 
Armagosa,  and  the  granite  and  quartz  of  this  section,  contain  both  gold  and  silver, 
but  they  are  situated  to  the  north  of  this  chain,  yet  the  gypsum  beds  found  near 
their  southern  base  and  on  the  southern  part  of  the  Colerado  Desert  are  found  to 
contain  gold  in  small  quantities,  not  sufficient,  however,  to  pay  for  working.  The 
predominating  metaliferous  rocks  of  these  mountains,  so  far  as  known,  consist  mostly 
of  copper  containing  lead  and  silver  ;  the  heavier  quantities  of  these  ores  lying  upon 
the  Rio  Santa  Clara,  in  the  County  of  Santa  Barbara.  Bismuth  and  iron  are  also  met 
with  in  these  mountains,  the  former  to  a  limited  extent,  the  latter  more  generally 
disseminated  and  forming  small  veins  among  the  primitive  rocks.  Both  of  the  latter 
minerals  are  found  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Mission  of  San  Buenaventura, 
and  the  former  (Bismuth)  in  the  mountains  near  the  coast  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
rancho  Guadalupe.  The  principal  mineral  products  of  these  counties,  of  any  com 
mercial  importance,  are  the  beds  of  sulphur  ;  they  commence  in  the  County  of  San 
Luis  Obispo,  and  through  alternate  distances  of  two  to  six  miles,  extend  to  the 
County,  of  Santa  Barbara,  and  northern  part  of  Los  Angeles.  The  larger  propor 
tion  of  these  beds  lie  near  the  coast,  and  form  the  investing  surface  material  of 
those  volcanic  vents  found  upon  this  part  of  the  coast,  and  which  have  been  alluded 
to  in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  report.  These  sulphur  deposits  will,  at  a  future 
day,  be  worked  with  profit  when  the  demand  for  this  article  shall  exceed  that  of  the 
present  time,  and  still  I  think  the  present  demand  is  sufficient  to  warrant,  the  in 
vestment  of  capital  in  this  quarter,  where  the  mineral  is  found  in  sufficient  quanti 
ties  to  render  the  working  of  its  mines  a  lucrative  operation. 

The  appearance  of  magnetic  sands  among  the  drift  found  in  the  beds  of  the  ar- 
royas  led  me  to  the  .supposition  that  gold  might  exist  in  their  connection,  which, 
upon  examination,  was  found  to  be  the  case,  although  in  very  trifling  quantities. 
The  same  thing  was  found  to  exist  upon  the  beach  three  miles  southeast  of  Santa 
Barbara.  This  metal  was  probably  derived  from  the  heavy  gravel  drift  which 
is  found  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

Bitumen  is  another  of  the  more  abundant  mineral  products  of  this  portion  of  the 
State,  and  is  found  in  very  large  quantities.  This  article  is  available  and  well  adap 
ted  to  the  manufacture  of  gas  for  the  purposes  of  illumination,  and  will  probably  be 
used  to  considerable  extent  in  this  country,  the'only  practical  objection  to  such  a  use 
of  it,  being  the  fact  that  no  valuable  residuum  is  left  in  the  retort  after  the  extrica 
tion  of  the  gaseous  constituents ;  as  this  mineral  yields  a  much  greater  volume  (I  c- 


41 

ing  nearly  double,)  of  illuminating  gas,  than  any  other  in  use,  it  is  very  question 
able  whether  it  would  not  be  equally  profitable  from  this  circumstance.  In  the  use 
of  coal,  we  have  the  coke  remaining  which  may  be  applied  as  an  article  of  fuel,  but  the 
value  of  the  latter  in  the  market  would  probably  be  counterbalanced,  by  the  increas 
ed  volume  of  illuminating  matter  contained  in  the  simple  bitumen.  The  expense 
of  transportation  of  coal  from  distant  regions  must  very  materially  enhance  the 
price  of  the  commodities  resulting  from  it,  but  in  the  use  of  the  asphaltum  upon 
pur  coast,  this  heavy  item  would,  as  a  necessary  consequence  become  materially  di 
minished.  The  only  real  objection  to  the  introduction  of  the  latter  article  for  the 
above  purposes  is  that  there  may  not  be  sufficient  quantities  of  the  mineral  obtain 
able  for  so  extensive  uses  as  would  be  required  ;  this  is  a  valid  objection,  and  should 
be  well  considered  before  entering  upon  a  speculation  of  that  kind  ;  from  what  is 
already  known  of  these  beds,  they  certainly  have  the  appearance  of  being  adequate 
to  the  supply  of  any  ordinary  demand  for  those  purposes,  as  they  are  frequently  to  be 
met  with  covering  many  acres  of  ground.  This  fact  however  in  regard  to  quantity 
can  only  be  determined  positively  by  clearing  one  or  two  of  the  larger  springs,  and 
thus  ascertaining  the  actual  amount  of  the  mineral  discharged  per  day  or  per  week, 
and  should  it  be  found  anything  near  adequate  to  the  demand  for  gas  manufacture, 
its  collection  and  transportation  at  fair  rates  of  prices,  will  form  a  much  greater 
source  of  revenue  to  this  district  than  the  entire  cattle  trade  of  these  counties  at  the 
present  time.  A  little  attention  to  this  subject  will  convince  us  that  a  heavy  and  lucra 
tive  business  may  be  conducted  in  this  department  of  trade,  if  the  necessary  meas 
ures  are  adopted  to  bring  this  element  into  practical  notice,  for  as  stated  in  the  pre 
ceding  pages  these  springs  extend  from  the  county  of  Santa  Clara  to  San  Diego, 
and  most  of  them  near  the  coast. 

To  illustrate  more  fully  the  advantages  to  be  derived,  and  the  extent  of  business 
that  now  lies  untouched  in  this  particular,  it  will  only  be  necessary  to  allude  to  the 
quantity  of  coal  required  for  the  purposes  of  illumination  at  present  in  this  State. 
The  requirements  for  the  city  of  San  Francisco  is  about  5000  tons  per  annum,  at 
an  average  price  of  22  dollars  per  ton,  equal  to  110,000  dollars,  the  demand  for 
Sacramento  is  equal  to  about  2000  tons,  which  at  the  same  price  equals  44,000  dol 
lars,  the  total  amounting  to  154,000  dollars.  Allowing  the  coal  to  produce,  (which 
the  best  quality  will,)  about  1100  pounds  of  coke  from  the  ton  of  coals,  the  value 
of  the  coke  as  sold  here,  at  about  62  cents  (high  price,)  per  bushel,  will  yield  a  re 
turn  upon  the  original  cost ;  of  a  little  more  than  twelve  dollars  per  ton,  or  a  sum 
total  of  nearly  $87,000.  This  estimate  is  based  on  the  product  of  the  Scotch  coal, 
the  specific  gravity  of  which  is  but  1.27.  The  Asphaltum  of  this  State  has  a 
specific  gravity  of  about  1.62,  the  difference  in  the  excess  arrising  probably  from 
the  earthly  matters  contained  therein. 

There  cannot  be  less  than  4000  tons  Asphaltum  lying  upon  the  surface  of  the 
ground  in  the  counties  of  Los  Angeles  and  Santa  Barbara  alone,  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  coast  at  the  present  moment.  Its  value  delivered  in  San  Francisco  would 
not  be  less  than  sixteen  dollars  per  ton,  equal  in  value  to  64,000  dollars,  and  this 
amount  alone  would  offer  sufficient  inducement  to  embark  in  the  enterprise  indepen 
dent  of  any  other  consideration.  The  amount  lying  upon  the  surface  in  other  ad 
jacent  counties  is  probably  equal  to  the  amount  in  those  specified,  so  that  8000  tons 
would  be  a  safe  estimate  to  place  upon  the  quantity  already  available. 

The  analysis  of  this  mineral  exhibits  the  following  available  constituents  for  the 
manufacture  of  gas ;  in  one  hundred  parts  there  is  found  a  a  limpid  oil  equal  to 
thirty  per  cent,  and  the  same  amount  of  charcoal  with  a  large  per  cent  of  ammonia, 
the  balance  consisting  of  earthly  matters  and  water.  Here  then  we  have  60  per 
cent  of  the  gross  weight  applicable  to  immediate  use,  the  charcoal  holding  the  same 
relations  to  the  bitumen,  that  exist  in  the  coke  to  the  coal.  That  the  supply  of  this 
article  is  abundant,  there  can  be  but  little  question  and  fully  equal  to  5000  tons  per 
annum,  (the  requirements  of  the  State  will  not  fall  short  of  this  figure  for  years  to 
6 


42 

come,)  equal  in  value,  at  16  dollars  per  ton,  to  80,009  dollars,  and  should  it  possess 
no  more  than  an  equal  amount  of  illuminating  matter,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  will  be 
far  more  economical  than  the  present  use  of  coal.  The  only,  or  rather  the  princi 
pal  question  asked  by  those  interested  in  gas  manufacture,  is  this,  is  there  a 
sufficient  quantity  to  meet  the  demand  for  3000  tons  per  annum,  in  other  words,  if 
there  is  a  sufficient  quantity,  is  there  every  evidence  of  quality  also  to  make  it  a 
reliable  resource  ? 

The  proper  opening  of  these  springs  would  undoubtedly  furnish  an  ample  quan 
tity  of  the  mineral,  and  if  the  business  should  be  judiciously  managed,  it  would 
prove  lucrative  and  permanent.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  brief  allusion  to  this 
subject,  may  elicit  attention  from  those  who  are  intimately  acquainted  with  the  local 
ities  in  which  it  is  found,  to  its  proposed  value,  as  well  as  to  the  quantities  which 
may  be  supplied. 

Limestone  is  found  in  considerable  quantities  among  the  higher  hills  of  this  part 
of  the  State.  Without  any  exception  I  believe  it  is  primitive,  and  the  greater  part  of 
it  possesses  a  high  crystalline  structure.  It  is  well  calculated  for  the  manufacture  of 
lime,  and  proportionately  less  fit  for  any  other  application  to  building  purposes. — 
The  granites  which  form  the  principal  basis  of  these  mountains,  is  usually  of  a 
hornblendic  character,  often  running  into  true  Sienite.  It  is  ill  adapt?d  to  purposes 
of  building,  both  from  its  constituents,  and  its  genernl  consistency,  and  it  is  gener 
ally  in  situations  remote  from  navigable  waters,  a  fact  which  forbids  at  present  its 
transportation  for  such  purposes,  even  were  it  found  to  be  of  a  better  quality. 

I  have  thus  given  a  general  outline  of  the  geological  characteristics  of  this  part 
of  the  country,  and  the  more  prominet  economic  adaptations  of  its  resources,  which 
may  be  derived  from  them,  by  the  enterprise  of  our  citizens,  when  the  industry  of 
the  people,  as  well  as  their  capital  shall  be  invested  in  their  development.  It  would 
be  incompatible  with  the  limits  of  an  abstract  report  like  this,  to  enter  into  the 
minutiae  of  the  more  scientific  details  which  might  naturally  be  drawn  from  so 
abundant  a  field  of  investigation.  I  have  thought  it  advisable  in  this  as  in  former 
reports  therefore  to  omit  them,  with  a  view  to  furnishing  such  as  may  be  deemed 
useful,  together  with  accompanying  illustrations,  in  a  final  report  of  a  more  com 
plete  form  in  detail,  upon  the  geology  of  California. 

In  the  appendix  of  this  report  will  be  found  a  catalogue  of  the  fossils,  minerals 
and  specimens  representing  this  portion  of  the  country,  less  full  however  in  detail 
than  that  which  will  hereafter  be  presented,  when  they  can  be  systematically  arrang 
ed  so  as  to  convey  a  clear  idea  of  their  relative  ages  and  positions. 

With  these  remarks  on  this  part  of  our  subject  we  will  now  leave  it  for  the  pur 
pose  of  turning  our  attention  to  the  more  northerly  and  equally  interesting  portion 
of  the  State. 


43 


COUNTRY  NORTH  OF  THE  AMERICAN  RIVER. 

The  district  of  country  lying  north  of  the  American  River  was  entered  upon  in 
the  early  part  of  October.  The  examinations  were  carried  through  the  upper  por 
tions  of  the  county  of  Yolo,  through  the  west  part  of  Placer,  through  S utter,  and 
crossing  the  Feather  River,  was  pursued  through  the  counties  of  Colusi,  Shasta, 
portions  of  Trinity,  the  eastern  part  of  Klamath  nearly  to  Sisldyou.  Returning  to  the 
southward  again,  the  eastern  side  of  the  River  Sacramento  was  followed,  through 
the  counties  of  Butte  and  Yuba. 

I  shall  confine  myself  first  to  the  observations  made  in  the  more  exclusively 
agricultural  portions  of  this  part  of  the  State,  and  subsequently  to  the  mining  coun< 
ties  beyond  and  upon  the  upper  sections  of  the  Sacramento  River  and  Valley. 

What  has  been  said  of  the  physical  geography  of  the  mountains  forming  the  bor 
ders  of  the  great  valley  is  equally  applicable  to  a  large  part  of  that  section  under 
consideration,  and  wherever  any  material  differences  occur  they  will  be  noticed  in 
the  course  of  our  remarks  upon  this  region.  The  lower  bottoms  of  the  Sacramento 
Valley,  over  which  the  principal  traveled  road  now  runs,  have  an  ascending  scale  of 
about  five  feet  per  mile  from  the  city  of  Sacramento  to  the  junction  of  the  Pitt 
River,  the  distance  between  these  points  being  about  the  same  as  that  between  Sac 
ramento  and  the  town  of  Shasta,  ard  nearly  on  the  same  level.  The  principal  agri 
cultural  lands  of  this  part  of  the  valley  lie  upon  these  bottoms,  which  in  the  county 
of  Colusi  are  often  of  several  miles  in  width  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  As  we 
advance  towards  the  coast  mountains  in  this  county,  and  also  in  the  south-west  part 
of  Shasta,  we  immediately  enter  upon  an  elevated  plateau,  which  apparently  extends 
to  the  base  of  the  mountains  to  the  west.  This  plateau,  or  more  properly  speak 
ing,  middle  terrace  of  the  valley  has  an  ascending  grade  towards  the  mountains 
much  more  rapid  than  the  lower  bottoms,  its  altitude  above  the  latter  varies  from 
60  to  70  feet,  and  the  ascent  to  its  top  is  usually  quite  abrupt.  As  this  terrace  ad 
vances  towards  the  west,  another  table  is  heen  to  ascend  from  its  surface,  exceeding 
this  middle  terrace  in  height,  beyond  which  the  heavier  rolling  hills,  constituting 
the  base  of  the  coast  mountains  commence,  and  which  in  a  short  distance  terminate 
in  rugged  and  elevated  ridges. 

Throughout  the  county  of  Colusi,  and  also  for  a  short  distance  and  to  the  south 
part  of  the  county  of  Shasta,  this  middle  terrace  contains  a  large  area  of  arable 
land,  differing  materially  from  its  equivalent  in  the  more  southern  portions  of  the 
same  valley  producing  there  but  a  limited  vegetation  and  being  composed  of  coarse, 
harsh  gravelly  soil.  These  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  middle  section  of  the 
plain  are  carried  southward  from  the  vicinity  of  Red  Bluffs  for  a  distance  of  ninety 
miles,  when  they  gradually  come  to  partake  of  the  sterile  features  above  noticed, 
and  which  are  carried  into  the  western  part  of  the  county  of  Yolo,  on  the  same  line 
of  elevation  above  tide  level. 

On  this  middle  plateau  is  situated  some  of  the  best  land  for  farming  purposes  to 
be  found  in  this  part  of  the  State.  The  soil  has  been  derived  from  the  mountains 
of  trapean  rocks  which  constitute  the  eastern  ridges  of  the  coast  chain,  and  is  com 
posed  of  a  soft  loam  mixed  with  little  sand,  and  the  detritus  of  a  few  of  the  slate 
rocks  which  are  found  in  comparatively  small  quantities  along  the  base  of  these 
ridges.  The  almost  total  absence  of  the  granitic  rocks,  which  are  usually  productive 
of  harsh,  dry  and  uncongenial  soils,  unless  modified  by  particular  local  circumstan 
ces,  and  the  admixture  of  the  extensive  limestones  which  stretch  from  across  the 
Pitt  River  and  appear  in  the  mountains  to  the  west  renders  the  lands  of  these  coun 
ties  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  culture  of  the  grain  and  root  crops,  and  desirable  to 
the  farming  population  of  the  country.  The  constituents  of  these  lands  renders 


44 

them  valuable,  for  the  culture  of  fruits.  They  contain  all  the  elements  necessary 
for  their  healthy  and  successful  propagation,  with  the  advantages  of  an  extensive 
market,  which  is  immediately  surrounding  almost  the  entire  section.  The  advan 
tages  presented  by  nature  are  not  entirely  overlooked  by  the  inhabitants  in  this  part 
of  the  State.  This  is  apparent  from  the  fact  that  flouring  mills  have  already  been 
erected,  of  capacities  much  greater  for  grinding  than  those  which  have  been  seen 
in  other  counties. 

The  county  is  as  yet  but  sparsely  settled,  but  an  examination  of  the  character  of 
its  lands,  and  of  the  inducements  it  will  present  to  the  strict  agriculturalist,  will 
lead  to  the  most  favorable  conclusions  respecting  the  future  appreciation  and  settle 
ment  of  this  district.  Its  capacities  for  the  production  of  the  cereals  and  also  ex 
tensive  corn  crops,  were  evidenced  during  the  last  year,  in  which  we  find  that  the 
reputation  which  this  district  had  acquired  for  the  rearing  of  these  products,  was 
fully  sustained. 

The  lower  bottoms  of  this  part  of  the  valley  present  a  somewhat  anomalous  fea 
ture  in  their  native  productions  compared  to  their  equivalents  farther  to  the  south. 
It  consists  in  the  forest  growths  which  extend  for  miles  from  the  banks  of  the  river. 
On  the  bottoms  below  Tehama,  the  oak,  maple  and  other  trees  which  skirt  the  banks 
of  the  stream  usually  extend  but  a  very  short  distance  back  into  the  flanks  of  the 
valley,  never  I  believe  reaching  in  any  instance  the  foot  of  the  middle  terraces.  At 
the  distance  of  about  twenty  miles  south  of  Tehama  we  first  enter  the  valley  forest 
(for  so  it  may  be  called.)  which  continues  to  increase  both  in  density  and  extent  as 
we  approach  the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  and  soon  after  passing  Red  Bluffs  it  is 
seen  to  extend  from  the  base  of  the  coast  mountains  to  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The 
greater  part  of  the  trees  are  situated  upon  the  middle  plateau,  and  extend  them 
selves  into  the  upper  tables  and  thence  into  the  foot-hills  of  the  mountains  where  they 
soon  become  commingled  with  the  pine  and  other  trees  of  mountain  habits.  The 
trees  growing  upon  these  lands  offer  a  good  criterion  to  judge  of  the  character  and 
condition  of  its  soils  on  which  they  are  found.  They  exhibit  to  us  the  fact  that  the 
soil  possesses  those  elements  which  are  necessary  for  the  propagation  of  the  cultiva 
ted  trees,  and  which  can  be  made  doubly  useful  in  supplying  woods,  either  for  build 
ing,  for  fuel  or  other  purposes,  and  the  production  of  fruits,  at  present  a  great  desi 
deratum  in  the  State  of  California. 

This  part  of  the  State  has  every  appearance  of  possessing  superior  advantages 
for  the  culture  of  the  northern  fruits,  the  apple,  peach  and  pear,  either  or  all  of 
which  would  find  here  a  soil  and  climate  congenial  to  their  healthy  and  luxuriant 
growth. 

Before  dismissing  the  agricultural  districts  of  the  upper  Sacramento,  I  would  call 
the  attention  of  the  residents  of  this  part  of  the  State,  to  the  means  of  irrigation 
which  may  be  advantageously  used  in  this  district.  All  the  streams  which  issue 
from  the  mountains,  lose  a  great  part  of  their  water  beiore  they  unite  with  the 
main  river,  and  in  some  cases,  it  has  been  found  that  the  waters  of  thpse  streams 
were  entirely  absent  from  their  beds  for  miles  above  their  junction.  When  this  is 
found  to  be  the  case,  and  even  but  a  small  district  of  valley  lands  intervenes  be 
tween  these  points  where  the  waters  thus  disappear  from  their  surface  channels, 
there  will  usually  be  found  between  the  main  river  and  the  sink,  some  point  at  which 
the  waters  issue  from  beneath  the  surface,  which  is  manifested  in  these  cases  by 
small  lagoons,  swampy  ground,  and  wet  places,  none  of  which  are  usually  of  any 
great  extent.  This  fact  has  led  me  to  suppose,  that  a  clay  bed  might  probably  exist 
beneath  the  superficial  soils,  which  is  nearly  impervious  to  water.  This  upon  ex 
amination  has  been  found  to  be  the  case.  The  limited  superficial  discharge  of  these 
waters,  is  accounted  for  in  a  sandy  admixture  which  is  found  in  the  clay,  and  which 
of  course  would  admit  a  much  freer  percolation  of  water,  than  the  compact  clay 
alone  would  allow  ;  the  natural  inference  from  which  is,  that  by  .far  the  greatest  pro- 


45 

portion  of  the  waters  which  flow  through  the  tributary  streams  of  the  northern  Sac 
ramento,  pass  beneath  the  surface  of  the  valley  and  emerge  from  the  same  many 
miles  distant  from  the  places  of  their  disappearance.  As  the  structure  of  this  basin 
will  be  examined  more  in  detail  in  another  part  ot  this  report,  further  remarks  in 
relation  to  this  part  of  our  subject  will  be  dispensed  with  at  this  time. 


MINERAL  DISTRICT  OF  THE  UPPER  SACRAMENTO  VALLEY. 

We  come  now  to  the  consideration  of  the  mineral  resources  of  the  Upper  Sac 
ramento  Valley.  The  upper  portions  of  this  valley  lie  for  the  most  part  on  the 
east  banks  of  the  Sacramento  River,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  section  above 
the  junction  of  Clear  Creek,  on  the  west  side  of  the  main  stream.  The  southern 
boundary  of  what  may  be  considered  properly  as  the  Upper  Sacramento  Valley 
(and  which  is  mineral  land  for  nearly  its  entire  extent,)  I  have  proposed  to  com 
prise  within  the  range  of  mountains,  crossing  the  Pitt  river  and  forming  a  part  of 
its  southwestern  banks,  on  the  north,  and  the  junction  of  Cow  Creek  on  the  south. 
This  district  will  have  a  line  of  distance  from  north  to  south  of  about  thirty-five 
miles,  and  a  breadth  of  fourteen  miles  lying  immediately  north  of  the  emigrant 
road  leading  from  Noble's  Pass,  aad  entering  the  Sacramento  Valley. 

In  passing  across  this  section  it  was  found  that  a  large  portion  of  the  area  inclu 
ded  was  a  placer  district,  similar  in  most  respects  to  the  equivalent  ranges  on  Butte 
Creek,  and  extending  southerly  through  Long's  Bar  on  the  Lower  Feather  River, 
which  is  also  observable  in  the  vicinity  of  Camp  Far  West,  on  Bear  River,  and 
thence  on  to  Rhode's  Diggings,  in  the  County  of  Sacramento. 

Within  this  area  there  is  at  the  present  time  a  large  mining  population,  and  three 
considerable  mining  towns  have  been  built  up  by  the  enterprise  of  that  portion  of 
our  people  who  arrive  annually  by  emigration  across  the  territories  and  enter  the 
northern  parts  of  California  through  Noble's  Pass,  also  coming  through  the  Ameri 
can  V alley.  In  the  middle  portion  of  this  district  there  are  situated  some  of  the 
most  extensive  auriferous  quartz  leads,  of  any  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  State, 
and  from  which  the  gold  found  distributed  through  the  soil  is  derived.  This  entire 
district  may  be  said  to  constitute  a  single  large  placer  embracing  an  area  fully 
equal  to  two  hundred  square  miles,  and  probably  the  largest  uninterrupted  placer 
to  be  found  in  this  country.  The  situation  of  this  plain,  enclosed  as  it  is  by  high 
mountains  on  three  sides,  renders  a  climate  mild  and  agreeable,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  a  short  time  during  the  dry  season,  when  like  all  valleys  in  this  country, 
the  temperature  becomes  somewhat  elevated. 

This  placer  range  extends  in  a  northerly  direction  beyond  the  Pitt  River,  on 
which  stream  the  mining  town  of  Pittsburgh  is  situated  ;  it  is  said  also  to  extend 
up  McLoud's  Fork,  the  principal  northern  tributary  of  Pitt  River ;  of  this,  how 
ever,  I  am  unable  to  speak  from  personal  knowledge.  I  think  there  is  no  question 
but  such  is  the  fact,  for  my  informants  were  men  on  whom  reliance  could  be  placed 
in  matters  of  this  character.  In  this  district  as  in  many  others  in  the  State  simi 
larly  situated,  scarcity  of  water  is  the  most  serious  impediment  in  the  way  of  the 
miner  in  seeking  for  the  profits  of  his  occupation  as  well  as  to  the  general  growth 
and  progress  of  the  country.  And  wherever  an  ample  supply  of  this  agent  is  fur 
nished  for  mining  purposes,  the  Upper  Sacramento  will  give  abundant  employment 
to  a  large  and  busy  population.  1  think  there  is  no  hazard  in  expressing  the  opin 
ion,  that  this  placer  alone  exceeds  in  area  the  aggregate  of  all  the  other  known 
placers  of  Shasta  County,  in  which  it  is  situated,  and  is  capable  of  giving  employ 
ment  for  many  years  to  four  or  five  thousand  men. 

I  consider  the  mining  sections  of  this  county  equal  in  value  to  those  of  many 


46 

parts  of  El  Dorado,  Placer  and  Nevada  as  they  existed  in  the  years  of  1851-2-3. 
They  are  much  in  the  condition  in  which  the  flats  and  ravines  in  those  counties 
were  during  those  years,  and  which,  since  the  introduction  of  water  by  canals,  have 
yielded  vast  sums  of  gold,  and  such  high  remuneration  for  labor. 

These  mines  are  as  yet  almost  untouched,  and  they  require  only  that  stimulus 
which  has  been  applied  in  other  counties  to  the  south,  to  bring  them  into  immedi 
ate  use  and  occupancy.  The  rapid  ascent  of  the  Sacramento  River  after  it  enters 
the  canon  immediately  above  the  Upper  Ferry  is  such  that  any  amount  of  water 
would  be  easily  obtained  by  diverting  a  portion  of  the  stream,  and  carrying  it  by 
canals  or  ditches  to  the  west  of  the  river  to  be  distributed  among  the  high  flats  to 
the  west  from  the  town  of  Shasta,  which  flats  abound  in  auriferous  deposits  similar 
to  those  of  Middletown,  Briggsville  and  other  localities.  A  distance  of  six  or  seven 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  canon  would  give  sufficient  altitude  to  carry  the  waters 
nearly  as  high  as  the  summit  of  the  hill  on  which  is  situated  what  is  known  as  the 
Upper  Springs,  and  within  the  town  of  Shasta. 

A  distance  of  three  or  four  miles  above  the  first  settlement  on  the  plain  east  of 
the  river,  the  waters  of  the  Sacramento  may  be  diverted  to  any  extent  that  might 
be  requisite,  arid  in  quantities  sufficient,  if  required,  to  nearly  inundate  the  upper 
plain  on  that  side  of  the  stream,  and  a  natural  channel  may  be  found  of  sufficient 
elevation  a  portion  of  the  way,  to  convey  the  waters  over  the  undulating  hills  on 
the  southern  and  middle  portions  of  the  prairie  beyond. 

The  inducements  for  the  investment  of  capital  in  mining  operations  which  offer 
themselves  in  this  immediate  vicinity  are  unsurpassed  in  any  county  of  the  State 
south  of  this  point,  and  it  is  a  remarkable  feature  in  the  history  of  this  district 
that  they  have  not  attracted  that  attention  which  their  intrinsic  merits  suggest. 


GEOLOGY  OF  THE  NORTHERN  COAST  MOUNTAINS. 

The  term  Northern  Coast  Mountains  is  used  in  this  case  for  the  purpose  of  sepa 
rating  a  portion  of  this  district,  which  differs  materially  in  mineral  aspect  from  any 
other  part  of  this  chain  south  of  the  County  of  Colusi.  The  counties  of  Humboldt,  Kla- 
math,  Trinity,  Shasta,  and  the  southwest  part  of  Siskiyou.if  not  the  whole  of  the  latter 
county,  are  situated  in  this  part  of  the  chain,  and  which  collectively  form  a  portion 
of  the  mineral  districts  of  this  State.  My  line  of  travel  did  not  extend  sufficiently 
far  north  to  determine  with  certainty  what  portion  of  the  mountain  district,  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  should  strictly  constitute  the  coast  chain.  But  from  what 
evidences  there  are  in  our  possession  at  the  present  moment,  respecting  their  peculiar 
disposition,  the  presumption  is  strong  that  even  Mount  Shasta  belongs  to  this  chain, 
in  place  of  its  forming  a  part  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  as  heretofore  believed.  This 
will  prove  to  be  the  case,  provided  the  Cascade  range  which  extends  through 
Southern  Oregon  is  found  to  be  a  continuation  of  our  coast  chain  as  is  now  sup 
posed. 

In  this  case  we  shall  have  the  Sierra  Nevada  terminating  at  Lassen's  Peak,  or 
rather  at  a  point  not  farther  north  than  this  moumtain,  and  the  structure  of  the 
county  extending  northward  from  this  towards  the  southern  line  of  Oregon  fully 
warrants  such  a  conclusion.  North  of  Lassen's  Butte  there  is  not  a  mountain  to 
be  seen  on  the  line  of  trend  of  the  ridge  country,  which  consists  apparently  of 
low,  flat  table  lands,  similar  in  structure  and  appearance  to  the  table  hills  north  of 
the  main  Feather  River  or  those  which  extend  through  the  southern,  western  and 
northern  parts  of  the  Counties  of  El  Dorado,  Placer  and  Amador,  as  we  approach 
the  plains  from  the  mountains  in  these  several  counties. 

The  only  mountains  in  this  part  of  the  State  are  those  belonging  properly  to  the 


47 

coast  ranges,  and  of  these  Mount  Shasta  forms  probably  the  line  of  eastern  limit ; 
its  distance  from  the  sea  is  a  due  west  line  not  exceeding  seventy  miles,  being  a 
much  shorter  distance  from  the  ocean  than  many  parts  of  the  same  chain  situated 
farther  to  the  south. 

The  mountain  districts  of  this  part  of  the  State  are  divided  by  bold  and  rapid 
streams,  and  as  a  consequence,  are  designated  by  local  names  which  serve  to  fix 
their  geographical  and  relative  positions,  forming  the  boundaries  of  counties  and 
the  lines  of  water-shed,  which  unite  with  the  ocean  at  widely  different  and  distant 
localities.  Thus  we  find  the  waters  which  flow  into  the  Sacramento  separated  from 
those  which  flow  into  the  Klamath  by  the  range  known  as  the  Trinity  Mountains, 
the  latter  river  draining  a  portion  of  the  waters  belonging  to  the  Great  Basin,  and 
which  rises  east  of  the  Cascade  range. 

The  rocks  which  comprise  this  part  of  the  coast  mountains  are  made  up  mostly 
of  the  primitive  group,  and  simulate  in  almost  every  particular  with  those  found  in 
the  mining  counties  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  also  the  southern  portions  of  the 
coast  chain.  In  the  eastern  and  middle  districts  of  this  part  of  the  mountains,  the 
sienites  and  other  members  of  the  granitic  series  are  largely  predominant,  and  com 
mingled  irregularly  with  them,  are  found  the  serpentine  rocks  and  their  derivatives, 
consisting  of  the  talcose  and  chlorite  schists,  alternating  with  all  the  other  members 
of  the  primitive  group. 

Resting  upon  these  we  find  the  slates  of  an  argillaceous  origin  frequently  disturbed 
and  maintaining  every  conceivable  degree  of  inclination,  as  in  the  other  mining 
counties  of  the  State,  but  still  holding  their  parallel  with  the  mountains  in  which 
they  are  situated,  which  is  observable  elsewhere,  and  the  same  line  of  strike  or 
linear  direction.  The  constancy  and  regularity  of  the  strike  found  in  these  rocks 
at  such  remote  distances  from  those  of  the  southern  range  of  mining  counties  leads 
us  irresistibly  to  the  conclusion  that  they  belong  to  one  and  the  same  period  and 
co-relative  age,  having  their  origin  from  the  same  class  of  rocks  as  those  of  the  other 
sections.  The  subsequent  igneous  intrusions  which  have  disturbed  the  one  are 
found  to  be  of  the  same  character  as  those  which  disturbed  the  other,  and  have 
apparently  acted  with  the  same  force  and  at  the  same  time  with  those  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada.  The  intrusions  of  quartz  dikes  and  veins  appear  equally  as  numerous 
and  well  defined  as  those  found  in  any  other  part  of  the  State,  and  even  much 
more  extensive  than  many  of  those  observable  in  the  midland  counties.  They  simu 
late  more  closely  with  those  veins  found  in  the  counties  of  Tuolumne,  Calaveras 
and  Mariposa. 

In  the  depressions  lying  between  the  principal  divides  of  the  various  rivers,  the 
heavy  drift  deposits  are  met  with  ;  in  some  localities  they  extend  to  great  depth,  as  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Weaverville,  they  have  been  found  to  the  depth  of  nearly 
five  hundred  feet,  which  was  proved  by  the  sinking  of  the  deep  shaft  near  that  town. 
This  drift,  or  the  greater  part  of  it  at  least,  has  all  the  evidences  of  having  been 
deposited  during  the  tertiary  epoch,  the  manifestations  of  which  are  found  in  the 
great  amount  of  the  impressions  of  dicotyledonous  leaves,  many  of  which  are  appa 
rently  of  present  existing  species  found  growing  in  the  neighboring  mountains ;  the 
silicified  woods  and  lignites  all  present  thesame  general  features. 

This  district  is  peculiarly  interesting  from  the  great  amount  of  drift  deposits 
which  are  present  in  many  localities,  and  the  character  of  the  organic  remains  con 
tained  in  it  is  well  defined,  and  will  probably  be  the  means  of  modifying  our  opin 
ions  in  some  measure,  relative  to  the  probable  age  of  the  drift  deposits  of  the 
different  portions  of  this  State.  There  are  apparent  grounds  existing,  (which,  how 
ever  cannot  be  fully  demonstrated  at  the  present  time)  that  these  drift  beds  are 
assigned  to  two  distinct  periods  of  the  tertiary  era,  but  more  time  and  further  exam- 
nation  must  be  had  before  this  point  can  be  satisfactorily  settled.  In  an  economical 
point  of  view  it  matters  but  little  to  which  of  the  two  periods,  either  of  them  may 


48 

belong,  so  far,  at  least,  as  their  mineral  products  are  concerned,  for  the  deposit  in 
whatever  portion  of  the  State  it  may  be  found  (except  south  of  the  San  Bernar 
dino  Mountains)  is  highly  valuable  for  its  auriferous  accompaniment  which  is  gen 
erally  found  throughout  the  whole  of  it  in  general  distribution. 

The  drift  beds  are  found  extensively  dispersed  through  the  northwest  part  of  the 
State,  and  are  found  much  elevated  on  the  flanks  of  the  ridges  as  well  as  in  the 
depressions  between  them.  I:i  this  particular  they  simulate  with  the  extensive  and 
wide-spread  placer  ranges  which  traverse  the  mining  districts  from  the  County  of 
Plumas  to  that  of  Calaveras,  and  thence  through  Tuolumne  and  Mariposa.  From 
their  general  character,  so  far  as  they  have  been  opened  and  examined,  (which  has 
been  but  to  a  limited  extent)  they  present  all  the  physical  and  integral  features 
which  have  hitherto  warranted  our  conclusion  respecting  gold  deposits  within  our 
borders,  and  which  have  guided  to  those  practical  proofs,  by  opening  the  mines, 
which  have  developed  to  us  the  natural  hiding  places  of  the  immense  resources  of 
wealth  which  abound  in  our  State.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  those 
drift  beds  situated  in  the  northern  coast  mountains  are  equally  as  valuable,  and 
will,  when  worked,  prove  as  abundantly  supplied  with  gold  as  those  of  Sierra, 
Nevada,  Placer  and  El  Dorado  Counties.  This  opinion  is  based  on  the  fact  that 
the  deposits  on  the  flanks  of  the  hills  in  the  coast  chain  are  co-relative  in  age  with 
those  of  Minesota,  Mameluke  Hill  and  White  Rock,  in  the  Counties  of  Sierra  and 
El  Dorado,  their  fossils  being  identical,  and  their  elevation  above  the  sea  about  the 
same. 

The  outlines  of  these  beds  begin  first  to  show  themselves  as  well  defined  forma 
tions  on  the  east  and  west  banks  of  Clear  Creek  above  Frenehtown,  and  also  on 
French  Gulch,  in  the  County  of  Shasta,  and  are  distincly  traceable  from  these 
localities  across  all  the  rivers  lying  to  the  north  and  west  of  this  creek  as  far  west 
as  Salmon  and  Scott  Rivers,  and  on  the  hills  forming  the  sides  of  all  the  larger 
basins  lying  between  these  points;  the  great  Weaverville  basin  furnishes  one  of  the 
best  examples  of  the  kind  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  is  observable  on  what  is 
known  as  Musser's  Flat  to  the  northeast  of  the  town.  It  is  similar  in  all  respects 
to  the  localities  in  Nevada  County,  in  the  vicinity  of  Moore's,  Orleans  and  Eureka 
Flats,  opposite  to  Minesota. 


LOCAL  GEOLOGY. 

The  local  geology  of  the  Northern  Coast  Mountains  presents  but  little  diversity 
from  the  other  mineral  districts  of  the  State,  and  as  a  general  fact  the  rocks'rnain- 
tain  that  uniformity  of  character  which  is  found  to  exist  in  almost  every  locality 
within  any  given  area. 

The  first  locality  that  will  claim  our  attention  is  that  of  the  middle  and  northern 
with  the  eastern  part  of  Shasta  County.  Nearly  as  soon  as  we  leave  the  valley, 
and  among  the  first  foot-hills  the  slates  are  met  with  standing  in  nearly  a  vertical 
position.  This  trait,  however,  extends  but  a  short  distance,  and  we  are  suddenly 
introduced  from  the  fossil  clay  slate  into  a  district  in  which  the  latter  is  most  com 
pletely  metamorphosed.  This  is  found  to  occur  within  two  miles  of  the  point  at 
which  these  rocks  maintain  their  true  laminated  character  of  the  slates.  In  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Shasta  City,  the  changed  condition  of  these  rocks  is  noticable 
and  directly  east  of  the  town,  the  intrusion  of  the  igneous  is  presented  on  an  exten 
sive  scale.  On  the  hill  opposite  to  the  City  the  intrusive  rocks  have  broken  through 
each  series  that  preceded  them,  and  we  find  the  slates  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  trapean  dikes,  most  completely  changed  into  true  jaspery  rocks.  To  the  east 
and  north  of  the  hill  we  meet  with  the  first  beds  of  the  serpentine  rocks  which  have 


49 

been  disturbed  by  the  same  agents  which  have  disturbed  the  slates ;  this  bed  of 
the  primitive  group  extends  in  a  northerly  direction  about  six  miles,  and  is  flanked 
on  the  west  by  the  sienites  and  granites,  and  on  the  east  by  the  older  trap  rocks. 
Among  these  serpentine  rocks  are  frequently  to  be  seen  small  veins  and  also  large 
dikes  of  auriferous  quartz  running  parallel,  which  will  be  seen  from  their  course  to 
correspond  in  trend  with  those  of  the  more  southern  part  of  the  State,  and  this 
general  characteristic  belonging  to  these  latter  rocks  (the  quartz)  was  found  to  pre 
vail  as  far  north  as  my  observations  extended. 

Nearly  all  the  quartz  dikes  of  this  part  of  the  State  are  situated  in  the  serpen 
tine  rocks,  and  it  is  rather  an  exception  than  otherwise,  to  find  them  associated  with 
other  series  of  veins  of  any  considerable  magnitude.  There  are  but  very  few  excep 
tions  to  this  rule,  and  when  these  dikes  are  found  to  occur  in  other  rocks,  the 
investing  walls  are  usually  granite.  The  predominance  of  these  veins  among  the  class 
of  rocks  alluded  to,  fixes  to  a  certain  extent  their  probable  age,  and  like  the  dikes 
of  the  counties  of  Nevada  and  Amidor,  come  under  the  classification  of  former 
reports  in  which  they  have  been  arranged  as  primitive,  in  order  to  separate  them 
from  a  class  similar  in  constitution,  which  appear  to  have  been  intruded  subse 
quent  to  the  deposition  of  the  slates. 

Up  to  the  present  time,  there  have  not  been  observed  any  extensive  quartz 
ranges  which  have  the  appearance  of  having  protruded  through  the  slate  formation 
of  this  part  of  the  State.  I  have  heard  of  two  localities  of  this  character,  one  of 
which  I  have  subsequently  visited,  but  found  on  examination  that  the  Slate 
belonged  to  th»  stratified  rocks  of  the  primitive  series,  and  were  almost  exclusively 
talcohe  schist.  In  those  localities  where  opportunities  occurred  for  the  examina 
tion  of  the  trapean  rocks  which  were  found  adjacent  to  these  dikes,  they  presented 
the  same  appearance  and  evidences  of  having  broken  through  that  class  of  rocks. 

This  is  manifest  in  nearly  every  vein  to  be  met  with  for  the  distance  of  five  or 
six  miles  from  Shasta  City,  and  is  particularly  well  defined  in  the  vicinity  of 
what  is  known  as  the  Quartz  Mountain,  eight  miles  north-east  of  the  town  and 
on  the  head  of  the  Sacramento  Valley.  From  this  brief  outline  of  their  gener 
al  features  and  associations,  it  is  difficult  to  form  any  other  conclusions  than  those 
at  which  we  have  above  arrived,  respecting  their  strictly  primitive  character  ; 
and  as  such,  when  found  to  be  auriferous,  they  are  discovered  to  be  equally  val 
uable  with  those  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  In  traveling  north-west  of  the 
town,  and  well  on  to  Tower's  Bridge  we  find  a  diminution  in  the  outcrop  of  these 
rocks,  but  after  crossing  Clear  Creek  and  assuming  a  more  northerly  course  they 
again  make  their  appearance  in  well  defined  lodes  running  parallel  with  each 
other  for  long  distances.  The  best  position  for  examining  their  relations 
with  the  adjacent  rocks  is  three  miles  from  Frenchtown  at  the  Mt.  Washington. 
Mine.  At  this  locality  the  parallelism  of  the  dikes  is  observable  along  the  flanks, 
and  over  the  hill  on  which  this  mine  is  situated.  A  level  has  been  driven  about 
200  feet  on  the  main  lode  of  the  mine,  which  has  exposed  the  walls  of  the  vein 
for  that  distance  and  at  a  vertical  depth  of  about  150  feet  below  the  outcrop. 
It  is  here  found  that  the  lode  traverses  the  primitive  rocks  exclusively,  and  like 
the  other  mines  in  the  State  the  power  of  the  lode  is  increased  as  it  descends. 
In  the  vicinity  of  the  reduction  works  of  this  establishment  are  large  masses  of 
an  amygdaloidal  trap,  which  is  found  in  situ  a  short  distance  west  of  the  build 
ings.  This  rock  is  cut  through  in  every  conceivable  direction  by  small  threads 
of  quartz,  which  I  have  found  to  contain  gold,  showing  most  conclusively  that 
the  mineral  was  injected  at  a  subsequent  period  to  the  formation  of  this  trapean 
mass. 

In  traveling  up  the  canon  from  the  bridge  above  alluded  to,  the  quartz  dikes 
are  found  to  crop  on  the  sides  of  many  of  the  hills  as  we  pass  along  ;  as  the 
ascent  of  the  Trinity  ridge  is  made  from  McLaughlin's  ranch,  which  is  situated 


50 

in  the  canon  spoken  of,  no  veins  are  again  met  with,  until  the  base  of  this  ridge 
is  approached,  towards  the  Trinity  River,  when  they  are  again  found  crossing 
about  two  miles  to  the  east  of  Lewis's  Bridge  on  this  stream  ;  but  we  shall  for 
the  present  defer  their  consideration  till  we  come  to  examine  them  again  in  the 
county  of  Trinity,  where  they  belong. 


CARBONIFEROUS  LIMESTONE. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  of  Shasta,  there  is  a  group  of  calcareous 
rocks,  stretching  obliquely  across  the  head  of  the  Sacramento  Valley,  whilst  the 
mountains  in  which  they  are  situated,  or  more  properly,  the  mountains  of  which 
they  compose  the  chief  part,  hold  a  due  north  and  south  trend.  Their  color 
and  altitude  when  seen  from  a  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  in  either  direc 
tion,  form  striking  features  in  the  landscape  scenery  of  this  part  of  the  country, 
peering  upward  in  their  more  northern  portions  to  the  height  of  about  3000 
feet.  Their  light  blue  tint  projects  them  in  strong  relief,  against  the  dark  rocks 
and  darker  herbage  of  the  mountains  beyond,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  display 
their  rugged  and  bold  outline  in  the  clearest  and  most  distinct  picturings. 

These  limestone  mountains,  thus  termed  because  there  are  no  rocks  of  any  other 
description  to  be  found  upon  them,  extend  across  the  Pitt  River  in  a  northerly 
direction  for  a  distance  of  about  thirty  or  forty  miles,  forming  a  portion  of  the 
canon  of  McCloud's  Fork,  and  are  situated  on  the  western  banks  of  that  stream, 
between  which  and  the  Sacramento  flows  the  rapid  stream  termed  by  Mr.  Dana, 
Destruction  River,  a  name  which  it  still  retains. 

The  dip  of  these  limestones  is  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  about  20  degrees;  the 
strata,  which  are  very  distinct,  vary  from  a  few  inches  to  eight  feet  in  thickness, 
and  the  thicker  beds  appear  extremely  solid,  scarcely  exhibiting  even  a  small 
seam.  Those  which  lie  near  the  base  of  the  mountains  are  much  darker  in  color 
than  those  above  them,  and  form  a  most  beautifully  variegated  marble,  inferior 
to  none  of  those  varieties  used  in  ornamental  architecture,  or  for  making  furni 
ture*  The  lower,  the  middle  and  a  considerable  portions  of  the  upper  beds  are 
highly  fossiliferous,  consisting  of  marine  species  entirely.  The  fossils  are  composed 
of  several  species  of  encriuite,  orth'is  and  small  spirifers,  in  the  middle  and  up 
per  beds,  and  of  corals  among  the  lower  ones.  This  I  believe  is  the  first  fossili 
ferous  limestone,  as  yet  found  in  any  portion  of  this  State,  it  has  heretofore  been 
entirely  wanting. 

The  discovery  of  this  group  of  rocks  brings  us  in  close  connection  with  a  new 
geological  era  within  the  State,  and  enables  us  to  present  the  outline  of  a  strong 
hope  that  we  mav  yet  be  able  to  discover  that  article  of  comfort  and  economy 
so  much  needed  on  these  western  shores.  These  rocks  belong  to  the  carbonifer 
ous  system  and  appear  to  be  the  representatives  of  that  system  developed  during 
the  survey  of  the  north-west  Territories  by  Mr.  Owen.  They  appear  almost 
identical  with  the  superior  portions  of  that  group  known  as  the  "  Carboniferous 
rocks  of  Iowa  and  Des  Moines  "  and  in  which  the  coal  measures  are  found. 

1  do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood  in  this  matter,  nor  to  say  one  word  which  might 
induce  individuals  to  invest  capital  or  time,  in  what  would  be  considered  fruitless 
attempts  in  search  of  coal.  The  only  evidence  existing,  that  this  article  may  be 
found  in  quantities  that  would  be  adequate  to  the  demands  of  this  State,  will  de 
pend  upon  the  character  and  extent  of  this  group  of  rocks  under  consideration. — 
My  time  did  not  permit  that  extensive  examination  of  the  group,  which  I  wished, 
but  it  was  conducted  far  enough  to  determine  the  fact  of  their  carboniferous  character 
beyond  question.  As  before  stated,  these  are  the  first  rocks  which  have  been  found 


51 

in  our  State,  of  that  series  to  which  the  coal  measures  belong,  and  they  furnish  us 

reason  to  hope  that  we  may  yet  be  able  to  say  that  California  can  supply  herself  with 

•coals  from  her  own  mines,  and  thus  avoid  in  all  time  to  come  the  enormous  expense 

of  the  importation  of  this  most  valuable  commodity  from  vast  distances  over  seas. 

During  a  hastily  conducted  line  of  travel  in  1850,  through  the  district  east  of  the 
Pitt  River  mountains,  I  observed  a  fe^  scattered  masses  of  a  secondary  conglom 
erate.  This  gave  me  the  first  impression  of  th.3  probable  existence  of  the  coal 
measures  in  those  districts  of  country,  and  there  was  a  brief  notice  of  the  subject 
in  the  short  report  to  the  Session  of  1853.  On  the  15th  page  of  that  report,  on 
the  Geology  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  the  following  remarks  were  made  : 

"  These  conglomerates  have  but  little  interest  connected  with  them  further  than 
geological  position  is  concerned,  except  the  modifying  influence  they  may  exert 
through  their  debris  on  the  formation  of  the  valley  sections  ;  but  there  is  a  belt  of 
these  rocks  in  other  parts  of  the  country  which  will  be  entitled  to  much  more  par 
ticular  consideration.  In  addition  to  the  buhr  stone  of  this  district,  this  section  of 
the  State  contains  some  few  traces  of  the  secondary  rocks,  a  suite  almost  entirely 
wanting  with  this  exception  in  other  parts  of  the  State  so  far  as  explored.  The 
existence  of  any  portion  of  this  suite  should  command  our  attention,  and  any 
measure  which  would  be  likely  to  develop  this  formation,  or  any  part  it  within  the 
limits  of  this  State  should  meet  with  public  approbation.  The  importance  attached 
to  this  group  is  the  fact  that  10  this  suite  we  must  look  for  a  home  supply  of  the 
mineral  coals,  if  even  found  within  the  State." 

And  on  the  16th  page  of  the  same  report  we  read  as  follows : 

"  As  these  rocks  have  exhibited  themselves  in  the  northern  districts,  and  in  those 
sections  most  immediately  connected  with  the  coast-line  of  mountains,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  judicious  explorations  in  that  range  may  develop  its  existence  (the  exis 
tence  of  coal,)  either  at  the  points  alluded  to,  or  in  other  and  more  distant  parts  of 
that  chain. 

From  the  structure  of  the  country  generally  it  is  doubtful  whether  any  other  portion 
of  the  State  presents  the  slighest  ground  for  hope  that  this  necessary  material  of  econo 
my  will  be  iound  in  other  parts  than  those  indicated,  and  every  effort  compatible 
with  prudence  should  be  made  that  will  tend  to  elicit  information  on  this  highly  im 
portant  subject.  The  frequent  discovery  of  small  patches  of  mineral  coal  in  those 
mountains,  would  seem  to  lend  aid  to  the  suggestion  that  its  development  in  this 
chain  may  be  looked  for  with  more  confidence  than  at  any  other  point." 

The  foregoing  remarks  upon  this  subject  penned  in  a  hasty  manner  more  than 
two  years  since,  (and  the  observations  which  gave  rise  to  them  being  conducted  in 
a  district  of  country  where  at  that  earlier  period  of  our  history  the  explorer  found 
his  attention  well  occupied  rather  in  the  preservation  of  his  life  against  the  dangers 
of  the  wilderness  and  its  denizens,  than  in  searching  for  geological  formations,)  have 
during  the  past  year  been  strongly  confirmed.  We  have  reason  now  to  believe 
in  the  correctness  of  our  suggestions  then  thrown  out,  from  the  discovery  of 
fossils  belonging  to  that  period,  and  required  as  a  basis  for  such  conclu 
sions.  These  fossils  have  been  found  at  distances  of  miles  from  those  points  where 
the  first  indications  of  the  secondary  series  were  thus  hurriedly  observed.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  it  is  no  easy  task  to  define  positively  the  true  position  of  a  for 
mation  or  group  like  a  conglomerate  from  its  mere  lithological  characters  alone  ; 
and  it  receives  its  additional  value,  when  it  is  found  to  hold  a  direct  relation  with 
groups  of  a  homogeneous  character,  presenting  fossils  of  a  known  age,  and  known 
position. 

Such  is  the  case  with  the  fossils  of  the  limestone  rocks  before  us,  their  relative 
position  being  well  known,  as  well  as  the  period  to  which  they  belong,  that  they 
place  the  subject  of  the  existence  of  a  coal  field  in  this  part  of  the  State,  or 
Southern  Oregon,  in  a  more  tangible  form  than  any  which  has  been  before  pre 
sented.  We  are  able  therefore  to  arrive  at  something  like  a  satisfactory  con- 


52 

elusion,  not  only  as  to  its  existence,  but  approximately  as  to  its  probablejlocality. 
The  fossils  before  alluded  to,  are  always  found  below  the  coal  beds,  and  in  no  in 
stance  above  them.  Their  depth  below  the  coals  is  generally  within  three  hundred 
feet.  These  facts  will  lead  us  to  look  for  some  other  locality  more  elevated^ 
and  on  the  line  of  trend  to  the  north  in  which  these  rocks  may  be  found  with 
their  appropriate  superincumbent  strata,  in  which  we  may  naturally  expect  will 
be  found  the  proposed  beds  of  mineral  coal.  The  dip  of  the  rocks  to  the.  east 
at  an  angle  of  about  20  degrees,  and  the  elevation  of  the  lands  lying  in  that  di 
rection  with  their  outline,  would  warrant  extensive  explorations  in  those  quar 
ters  with  strong  grounds  for  the  belief  that  success  would  attend  the  search  ; 
while  to  the  north  the  beds  should  be  sought  for  among  the  higher  hills  and  low 
mountains  east  of  Shasta  Butte,  or  perhaps  as  far  north  as  the  Siskiyou  Range, 
beyond  the  Klamath  River. 

I  feel  but  little  hesitancy  in  saying  that  a  great  degree  of  certainty  exists,  of 
the  mineral  coals  being  found  in  the  counties  of  Shasta  and  Siskiyou,  but  in  the 
former  more  particularly.  I  cannot  with  respect  to  the  latter  named  county, 
speak  with  the  same  amount  of  confidence,  as  my  examination  did  not  extend 
sufficiently  far  north  to  determine  with  any  degree  of  certainty  the  probable  ex 
tent  and  position  which  these  rocks  maintain  through  the  middle  and  northern 
parts  of  that  county.  JVly  remarks  in  relation  thereto  are  based  on  the  fact  of 
an  extensive  bed  of  limestone,  similar  in  character  to  that  under  consideration, 
existing  on  a  tributary  of  the  Klamath  River,  a  short  distance  to  the  west  of 
what  is  known  as  Bridge  Creek,  a  specimen  of  which  was  in  my  possession  three 
years  since,  but  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  at  Sacramento.  This  specimen, 
I  believe,  contained  no  fossils,  so  far  as  my  recollections  serves  me  at  the  present 
time. 

Should  no  coals  be  found  adjacent  to  any  part  of  this  group,  there  are  other 
circumstances  connected  with  it,  which  render  it  of  considerable  economic  value. 
The  depth  and  solidity  of  the  strata  composing  the  great  mass  of  the  hills,  and 
the  firm  character  of  the  stone,  will  render  it  desirable  for  building  purposes,  to 
which  it  is  well  adapted,  both  in  quality  and  quantity.  It  would  make  a  more 
durable  material  by  far,  for  those  purposes,  than  a  great  portion  of  the  stones  at 
present  used,  either  on  public  or  private  works  about  this  country.  Indeed 
there  is  none  to  be  found  so  good,  except,  perhaps,  the  better  qualities  of  granite, 
such  as  is  found  in  the  eastern  parts  of  the  county  of  Sacramento.  The  facil 
ities  of  transportation,  too,  are  very  good,  as  this  rock  is  found  within  six  or  eight 
miles  of  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Sacramento  River,  at  its  higher  stages,  and 
which,  with  light  draught  boats,  could  be  made  available  for  four  months  of  the 
year,  and  probably  for  a  longer  season. 

The  lower  beds  of  these  rocks  are  composed  of  corals,  and  the  stems  of  en- 
crinites,  distributed  through  a  very  dark  base,  and  traversed  with  veins  of  white 
spar.  It  receives  a  high  polish  and  is  obtainable  in  slabs  of  almost  any  dimen 
sions  and  thickness.  It  will  be  found  a  most  superb  article  for  ornamental  house 
work  and  for  furniture.  There  are  sufficient  quantities  and  variety  of  qualities 
of  this  stone  to  answer  the  entire  demand  of  this  State  for  many  years  to  come, 
and  capable  of  affording  an  extensive  and  lucrative  business  to  persons  engaged 
in  this  department  of  industry.  The  value  of  ordinary  marble  in  this  State,  is 
about  $2  50  per  cubic  foot,  and  the  demand  constantly  increasing.  For  the  finer 
varieties,  the  prices  are  much  higher,  and  rule  as  high  as  $8  25  and  $4  00  per 
cubic  foot.  I  have  obtained  the  opinion  of  practical  stone  artificers  on  the  fine 
dark  varieties  of  these  rocks,  and  they  unqualifiedly  pronounce  it  but  little  in 
ferior  in  quality  to  the  Italian  stone  known  as  the  "  .Black  and  gold"  marble. 
The  stone  of  the  Sacramento  does  not  possess  the  rich  yellow  veins,  which  dis 
tinguish  the  above-mentioned  article,  but  in  all  other  characteristics  it  closely 
resembles  it. 


53 

The  situation  of  these  rocks  is  such  that  water  power  may  be  used  almost 
directly  upon  the  ground  from  which  they  are  extracted,  from  the  current  of  a 
small  stream,  the  tributary  of  a  creek  which  flows  directly  to  the  east  of  one  of 
the  main  ledges,  and  carries  water  throughout  the  year.  With  these  advanta 
ges,  and  the  character  of  the  rocks  combined,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  attention 
may  be  turned  to  this  department  of  trade,  and  thus  add  another  to  the  list  of 
our  available  resources. 


TRINITY   COUNTY. 

The  southern  and  south-eastern  line  of  this  county  is  separated  from  that  of 
Shasta  by  the  high  ridge  known  familiarly  as  the  Trinity  Mountains.  These  at- 
tain  an  elevation  of  about  4000  feet,  at  the  points  at  which  the  trail  crosses  this 
ridge.  There  are  but  few  points  along  the  line  of  travel  that  exceed  this  height; 
it  may  therefore  be  considered  very  nearly  the  general  mean  altitude  of  this 
range,  or  rather  spur  of  the  coast  mountains.  The  rocks  composing  this  ridge, 
are  granite  and  sienite,  deeply  underlaid  by  the  greenstone  trap  which  descends 
to  the  beds  of  the  streams,  and  forms  the  principal  led  rock  of  the  placers  of 
this  section.  On  the  flanks  and  near  the  base  of  the  ridge,  there  are  frequently 
to  be  met  with,  isolated  masses  of  the  metamorphic  rocks,  the  chief  of  which 
are  slates.  These  rocks  often  present  a  porphyritic  structure,  especially  when  found 
in  contact  with  the  trapean  rocks,  or  with  quartz. 

I  do  not  remember  one  instance  in  which  the  sedimentary  rocks  were  found 
in  an  altered  condition,  when  in  contact  either  with  the  granite,  the  sienite,  or 
any  other  member  of  that  cotemporaneous  group  alone.  I  therefore  infer  that 
they  were  deposited  upon  the  latter  subsequently  to  their  consolidation,  and  any 
changes  which  they  may  have  undergone  since  their  deposition  and  uplift,  are 
occasioned  by  the  intrusions  of  more  recent  igneous  rocks,  which  have  alike  dis 
turbed  the  slates,  and  the  primary  rocks  on  which  they  rest.  In  using  the  word 
primary  in  this  case,  it  is  applicable  to  the  granitic  series,  including  the  serpen 
tines,  and  is  intended  to  separate  the  series  of  this  part  of  the  State,  from  rocks 
of  identical  constitution  in  other  localities,  which  are  beyond  question,  not  older 
than  some  of  the  lower  members  of  the  tertiary  era.  These  latter  rocks  were 
merely  alluded  to  in  my  first  report  to  the  Legislature,  and  will  be  found  thus 
noticed  on  the  12th  and  13th  pages  of  that  report. 

The  deposits  of  placer  gold  found  in  these  districts  lie  superior  in  position  to 
the  metamorphic  series,  and  also  superior  to  most  of  the  slates.  It  is  usually 
found  imbedded  in  the  gravel  drift,  which  is  composed  for  the  most  part,  of 
rolled  masses  of  the  primitive  group,  almost  unmixed  with  any  other  of  the  ad 
jacent  rocks.  The  entire  district  west  of  this  range  exhibits  the  marks  of  old 
water  lines,  from  which  the  waters  have  since  receded,  the  outlet  being  probably 
through  the  Klamath  to  the  ocean.  The  waters  were  apparently  fresh,  and  the 
drift  beds  and  clays  which  formed  the  bottom  are  charged  with  large  quantities 
of  vegetable  remains  ;  but  as  yet  no  relics  of  animals  have  been  found. 

The  small  amount  of  deposits  found  among  the  drift,  and  belonging  to  the 
more  recent  rocks  leads  naturally  to  the  inference  that  the  gold  deposits  of  these 
basins  were  derived  mostly  from  the  primary  suites,  and  such  was  subsequently 
found  to  be  the  fact  on  examining  the  geological  relations  of  the  rocks  found 
among  the  mountains.  This  characteristic  was  prevalent  as  far  as  the  crossing 
of  the  Scott  River  mountains,  and  westerly  for  a  distance  of  not  less  than  40 
miles.  In  this  place  we  shall  resume  the  consideration  of  the  quartz  veins  and 


54 

their  relations  to  the  other  rocks,  which  will  more  fully  illustrate  the  character 
of  this  portion  of  the  State. 

The  examination  of  these  rocks  was  continued  from  Lewis's  Bridge  on  the 
Trinity,  in  a  northeasterly  direction  to  the  base  of  what  is  known  as  Brown's 
Mountain,  a  ridge  which  forms  the  eastern  border  of  the  Weaverville  basin. — 
On  this  ridge  there  are  no  vestiges  of  any  other  than  the  primitive  series,  and 
trapeau  rocks,  comporting  in  character  with  those  spoken  of  on  the  Trinity 
ridge.  On  the  western  declivity  and  a  little  more  than  half  way  down  to  the 
level  of  the  basin,  the  veins  were  found  to  be  situated  in  talcose  slates,  which 
extend  in  a  broad  band  from  this  point  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill  ;  as  usual,  the 
vegetation  within  the  line  of  its  range  become  much  more  sparsely  distributed 
than  upon  either  of  its  flanks  where  the  trap  rocks  and  granites  were  found  to 
predominate.  Following  this  line  for  several  miles,  these  talcose  rocks  were 
found  to  be  part  of  an  extensive  range  which  composes  the  major  portion  of  the 
four  prominent  peaks  situated  north  of  the  town  of  Weaver,  which  are  designa 
ted  as  the  Weaver  Mountains,  and  which  may  be  known  by  their  peculiarly  bar 
ren  aspect,  when  approaching  this  town  from  any  point  of  the  compass.  This 
belt  extends  entirely  across  the  basin,  and  has  been  struck,  at  various  points,  in 
sinking  shafts  and  driving  tunnels  for  placer  mining. 

Taking  a  westerly  direction  along  the  base  of  the  ridge,  and  following  that 
line  for  four  or  five  miles,  I  observed  three  dikes  of  quartz  cutting  the  granite, 
and  one  near  a  small  branch  which  empties  into  Weaver  Creek,  which  entered 
the  greenstone  below  the  granite.  In  company  with  some  three  or  four  of  the 
citizens  of  Weaver,  a  visit  was  made  to  the  high  ridge  west  of  the  west  branch 
of  the  main  creek.  In  the  distance  of  two  miles  in  reaching  the  summit  of  this 
hill,  we  crossed  as  many  as  five  distinct  parallel  lodes,  three  of  which  I  subse 
quently  found  to  contain  gold.  On  the  following  day,  an  examination  of  the 
southern  end  of  this  ridge  was  made,  and  a  heavy  dike  of  this  rock  was  found 
occupying  the  summit,  and  cropping  out  at  various  points  on  the  declivity  towards 
the  river.  I  think  that  this  dike  is  identical  with  one  which  is  found  on  the 
south-east  flank  of  Brown's  Ridge,  and  it  unquestionably  cuts  entirely  through 
that  mountain. 

In  all  the  veins  which  passed  under  my  observation  during  my  rambles  in  this 
section  of  the  State,  not  one  was  found  to  enter  any  of  the  rocks  of  sedimentary 
origin,  but  were  confined  exclusively  to  the  primitive  group.  On  the  Tririty  River 
and  between  that  and  the  Scott,  the  same  features  were  prevalent  in  this  particular 
with  one  exception,  which  was  found  at  the  distance  of  about  two  miles  from 
Palmer's  Ferry  ;  here  the  Argillite  slates  on  the  left  of  the  trail  were  cut  through 
by  a  single  small  vein  which  was  traceable  for  a  distance  of  nearly  one  mile,  and 
like  several  veins  in  the  more  southern  counties  of  the  State  ;  this  lode  had  a  strike 
nearly  due  east  and  west,  nearly  at  right  angles  to  what  are  known  here  as  the 
primitive  lodes.  This  is  an  interesting  fact  in  this  county,  and  serves  to  show  a 
regularity  in  those  perturbations  to  which  this  part  of  the  continent  has  been  sub 
jected  at  different  periods.  Under  the  article  of  Mines  I  shall  have  occasion  to 
allude  to  this  subject,  in  connection  with  the  comparative  value  of  the  metalliferous 
character  of  these  lodes,  so  far  as  they  have  been  examined  and  are  at  present 
understood  in  this  State. 

From  the  allusions  made  to  the  primitive  veins  in  my  report  of  last  year,  some 
idea  of  their  intrinsic  value  may  be  gleaned  with  reference  to  the  prospects  which 
they  present  for  mining  operations. 

Finding  so  great  a  preponderance  of  lodes  of  this  character  in  this  district  of 
country,  1  took  occasion  to  collect  and  examine  a  consideiable  number  of  these 
rocks  from  different  veins,  and  situated  miles  apart.  These  collections  were 
from  the  counties  of  Shasta,  Trinity  and  the  eastern  part  of  Klamath,  the 
aggregate  number  of  which  was  forty-three,  and  of  this  number  fourteen  were 


55 

from  the  Weaver  Basin  and  its  surrounding  ridges,  of  which  nine  specimens,  or 
about  three-fifths  contained  gold;  of  the  remaining  twenty-nine  specimens  twenty- 
two  were  found  to  contain  the  same  metal.  As  but  one  of  this  entire  number 
of  veins  was  found  to  be  located  for  mining  purposes,  within  my  knowledge,  I 
hope  that  I  may  not  incur  the  charge  of  giving  a  favorable  report  on  private 
property  for  pecuniary  considerations,  for  to  be  frank  in  this  matter,  I  found  a 
less  quantity  in  the  vein  which  was  claimed  than  in  any  specimen  which  proved 
to  be  auriferous. 

The  above  facts  respecting  the  auriferous  character  of  the  quartz  veins  of  the 
northern  section  of  this  State  are  detailed  for  the'  purpose  of  calling  attention 
to  that  important  source  of  wealth,  which  in  other  parts  of  the  State  has  proved 
of  so  high  a  value,  and  which  thus  far  in  the  extreme  northern  portion  of  the 
County  have  been  engaged  in  to  so  limited  an  extent.  One  of  the  greatest  causes, 
however,  which  have  acted  in  preventing  capital  investment  in  this  b/anch  of 
mining,  is  the  hitherto  almost  inaccessible  condition  of  this  section  from  bad 
roads,  preventing  the  transit  of  heavy  machinery  which  is  so  necessary  to  success 
in  the  reduction  of  ores.  This  difficulty  at  present  seems  likely  to  be  overcome, 
for  active  measures  are  now  being  taken  for  the  construction  of  good  avenues 
of  communication,  which  will  insure  the  means  of  the  transportation  of  heavy 
freights  to  almost  any  portion  of  the  northern  interior. 


IRIDIUM  AND  OSMIUM. 

This  County,  like  many  others  of  the  State,  produces  the  above  metals,  but 
in  much  larger  grains  than  any  heretofore  discovered.  This  alloy  is  the  metal 
usually  denominated  Platinum  in  the  mines  of  this  State.  It  is  found  in 
the  greatest  abundance  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Trinity  River,  occurring  in 
large  and  small  rounded  grains,  and  nuggets  weighing  from  one  pennyweight 
upwards  to  half  an  ounce.  Thus  far  the  south  branch  has  been  most  pro 
ductive  in  this  mineral,  although  some  of  the  adjacent  streams  contain  notable 
quantities.  The  size  of  the  grains  from  this  stream  will  render  it  of  some  com 
mercial  importance,  as  it  appears  well  adapted  to  those  uses  to  which  it  is  ordi 
narily  applied,  (that  of  forming  the  points  of  gold  pens)  although  its  price,  like 
that  of  every  other  commercial  commodity,  will  be  variable  according  to  the 
supply  or  demand.  During  the  past  year  the  price  of  this  article  has  exceeded 
that  of  gold;  but  a  considerable  quantity  being  thrown  into  the  market  in  the 
early  part  of  last  spring,  its  price  diminished  very  materially;  the  effect,  how 
ever,  was  but  of  short  duration,  as  the  article  was  found  to  be  of  an  inferior 
quality. 

It  was  thought  at  one  period  that  the  large  quantities  of  this  metal  found  at 
Port  Orford,  Coose  Bay  and  Cape  Blanco  might  affect  the  price  of  the  article 
to  an  extent  that  would  render  its  collection  in  this  State  of  little  importance; 
but  the  size  of  the  grains  from  the  above  localities  renders  it  almost  valueless, 
being  but  mere  thin  scales  in  an  extremely  fine  state  of  comminution.  Che 
large  size  of  the  grains  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Trinity,  imparts  to  this  article 
one  of  its  principal  values,  and  as  it  is  found  in  considerable  quantities  upon  that 
stream,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  attention  may  be  directed  to  its  collection. 


56 


IRON. 

A  short  dislance  to  the  north  of  the  town  of  Weaverville  are  small  veins  of 
magnetic  iron  ore.  It  is  seldom  found  in  veins  exceeding  one  or  two  inches  in 
thickness;  but  from  its  position  and  other  attendant  characters,  it  is  fairly  pre 
sumable  that  this  will  prove  an  extensive  bed  of  this  ore.  Our  reason  for  this 
supposition  is  based  on  the  fact,  that  what  appears  to  be  its  equivalent,  was 
found  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  basin,  on  the  south  bank  of  Brown's  Creek, 
and  at  the  distance  of  four  miles  from  the  point  at  which  it  was  first  discovered. 
The  distribution  of  the  metals  in  this  and  other  Counties  that  were  visited 
during  the  past  year,  will  be  noticed  more  in  detail  when  making  out  the  tables 
illustrative  of  that  portion  of  our  subject. 


STRUCTURE  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO  VALLEY. 

A  farther  examination  of  this  valley  during  the  past  year  has  placed  us  in 
possession  of  additional  information  in  relation  to  the  peculiarities  of  its  struc 
ture,  and  as  this  part  of  the  State  promises  in  a  few  years  hence  to  become  the 
theatre  of  extensive  operations  in  agriculture,  it  becomes  an  interesting  and 
important  point  to  ascertain  what  may  be  the  probabilities  of  obtaining  a  supply 
of  water  to  conduct  those  pursuits  successfully  on  so  large  a  scale.  The  portion 
of  the  plains  of  this  valley  to  which  I  would  call  your  attention  in  this  particu 
lar,  is  that  which  lies  to  the  north  of  the  County  of  Sutter,  and  the  extreme 
lines  of  the  valley  section  towards  the  Pitt  River,  which  stream  may  be  consid 
ered  as  constituting  the  northern  terminus  of  those  plains. 

It  is  found  that  this  plain  carries  an  ascending  grade  of  about  four  and  one- 
half  feet  per  mile  from  a  point  opposite  to  to  the  town  of  Marysville  to  the 
entrance  of  the  canon  leading  from  the  plains  to  the  town  of  Shasta,  the  air 
line  distance  inclusive,  being  that  one  hundred  and  five  miles,  giving  us  as  the 
altitude  at  the  entrance  to  the  canon,  a  rise  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
above  the  line  at  which  the  observations  were  commenced,  and  five  hundred  and 
ninety-six  feet  above  tide  level. 

In  this  part  of  the  Sacramento  Yalley  there  are  ten  streams  flowing,  which 
carry  water  throughout  the  year  in  the  hilly  districts  forming  its  boundaries; 
but  the  greater  portion  of  the  waters  flowing  at  these  higher  points  are  lost 
upon  the  surface  almost  as  soon  as  their  streams  reach  the  alluvial  covering  of 
the  plains  beyond  the  lower  hills,  with  the  exception  of  the  freshet  season. 
The  larger  streams,  the  Sacramento  and  Feather  Rivers,  furnish  the  principal 
channel  for  the  escape  of  those  waters,  which,  rising  to  the  east  of  the  slate 
and  conglomerate  ridges,  discharge  themselves  into  the  ocean. 

In  order  to  form  an  approximate  idea  of  the  probable  amount  of  waters 
which  pass  beneath  the  alluvial  coverings  of  the  plains,  it  may  be  stated  with 
safety  that  it  exceeds  the  quantity  flowing  in  the  Feather  River,  below  the  con 
fluence  of  the  Yuba.  This  estimate  is  founded  on  the  known  fact  that  the  trib 
utaries  which  furnish  the  waters  flowing  in  the  Sacramento,  during  the  summer 
months,  are  neither  as  numerous  nor  as  large  as  the  streams  which  sink  before 
uniting  their  waters  with  that  stream  during  the  same  period,  and  which  are 
also  direct  tributaries  to  the  upper  portion  of  that  river  during  the  rainy 
season. 


57 

Much  of  the  water  which  flows  in  the  Sacramento  as  it  approaches  the  Bay 
of  Suisan  is  derived  from  drainage  through  and  between  the  superficial  strata  of 
the  plains,  or  from  the  small  subterranean  courses  which  flow  out  over  the  mid 
dle  clay  beds,  which  form  the  substratum  of  the  sandy  and  gravelly  clays  above. 
One  of  the  best  proofs  which  is  presented,  of  the  existence  of  these  latent  cur 
rents  along  the  plains  from  the  Tipper  Sacramento,  as  far  down  as  Yolo  County 
on  the  south,  is  found  in  the  fact  that  there  is  derived  a  constant  supply  to  the 
large  lagoons  of  the  plains,  which  we  can  trace  to  no  other  source,  thus  driving  us 
to  the  conclusion  which  the  known  formations  of  the  valley  corroborate.  Another 
fact  is  worthy  of  attention  in  connection  with  this  subject,  which  is  that  these 
lagoons  have  outlets  which  distribute  their  waters  over  the  tule  grounds,  where 
they  maintain  quite  uniform  stages  during  the  summer  months,  which  is  traceable  \ 
to  no  other  known  and  visible  system  of  supply,  and  compels  us  again  to  the  belief  l 
that  the  subterranean  courses  of  the  lost  mountain  streams  must  furnish  its 
elements.  If  the  lagoons  were  filled  merely  by  the  overflow  of  the  plain  during 
the  rainy  season,  they  would  not  maintain  their  uniform  height  throughout  the 
dry  season  as  they  now  do,  and  they  would  furthermore  necessarily  exhibit  all 
the  features  of  mere  standing  pools  of  stagnant  water,  no  signs  of  which  is  now 
to  be  seen  about  any  of  these  bodies  of  clear  water  west  of  the  Sacramento. 
It  has  been  asserted,  though  I  have  no  personal  knowledge  of  such  a  fact,  that 
a  light  current  is  at  times  perceptible  to  the  south,  in  some  of  the  larger  lakes. 

The  water  in  many  of  these  lakes  is  of  considerable  depth,  perfectly  clear,  and 
much  colder  than  the  waters  in  the  rivers,  their  dimensions  varying  from  eight 
to  twelve  miles  in  length,  and  three  to  five  miles  in  breadth.  The  existence  of 
these  bodies  of  water  and  their  number,  temperature,  and  their  uniform  depth 
and  volume  teach  us  plainly  that  the  source  of  their  supply  must  be  traced  to 
some  other  cause  than  that  of  the  mere  periodical  overflow  of  the  surrounding 
lands.  If  this  be  admitted,  we  must  look  for  that  supply  to  the  more  elevated 
borders  of  the  valley  on  the  east  and  west,  or  at  their  northern  extremities. 
A  sufficient  supply  of  water  is  not  to  be  found  on  any  part  of  the  west  border 
of  the  plains,  to  produce  these  lagoons  until  after  we  pass  the  Cottonwood  and 
Clear  Creeks  to  the  north,  and  we  cannot,  therefore,  look  to  that  direction 
alone;  but  we  find  the  apparent  source  of  an  ample  supply  in  the  numerous 
streams  that  sink  upon  the  upper  and  eastern  sides  of  the  valley  which,  as 
before  stated,  hide  the  greater  portion  of  their  contents  before  reaching  the 
main  channels  through  which  they  conduct  their  discharge  in  the  rainy  season. 
An  additional  evidence  that  the  waters  of  these  streams  pass  beneath  the  sur 
face,  and  in  a  certain  degree  are  superficial,  is  a  fact  that  heavy  forest  growths 
frequent  different  levels,  and  in  their  distribution  are  found  at  distances  of  miles 
from  any  currents  of  water  which  would  be  at  all  adequate  to  the  support 
of  such  forests,  by  imparting  to  the  soil  in  which  they  grow  the  necessary 
moisture  for  their  nutriment. 

The  structure  of  the  plains  below  the  surface,  has  been  inferred  from  an  exami 
nation  of  the  changes  which  take  place  in  the  soils  which  are  met  with  in  traveling 
from  the  higher  terraces  of  the  northern  end  to  those  of  the  more  southerly  levels, 
which  latter  are  but  a  few  feet  above  tide  water,  and  in  the  position  of  the  clay 
beds  which  are  found  lying  upon  the  first  outcrop  of  the  slates  which  are  found  in 
the  lower  foot-hills  before  entering  the  more  elevated  mountain  districts.  A  verti 
cal  section  of  the  country  spoken  of,  would  give  a  depth  of  about  four  hundred  feet 
as  the  superficial  covering  of  the  valley  where  it  is  exposed  to  view.  The  various 
depths  of  the  principal  groups  of  this  part  of  the  State  will  be  found  in  the  table  in 
the  following  pages,  and  the  respective  positions  from  the  surface,  as  demonstrated 
by  the  boring  of  the  Stockton  well,  which  has  perforated  them  to  the  above  noted 
depth  of  four  hundred  feet.  The  thickness  of  the  lower  clay  bed  is,  of  course, 

8 


58 

unknown,  and  there  is  as  yet  no  method  of  reasoning  upon  its  probable  depth  from 
any  data  in  our  possession  which  would  amount  to  more  than  mere  speculation. 
There  is  no  evidence  respecting  it  beyond  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  which  is  all  that 
has  thus  far  been  known. 

This  deposit  has  all  the  appearance  of  having  been  originally  covered  by  the 
waters  of  the  ocean,  as  small  fragments  of  what  appear  to  be  marine  shells  have 
been  met  with  at  different  points,  though  none  of  them  in  a  state  of  sufficient  pres 
ervation  to  enable  us  to  determine  either  the  genera  or  species  to  which  they  belong. 
Should  this  prove  to  be  the  equivalent  of  the  Santa  Clara  deposit,  its  average 
thickness  might  be  put  down  at  about  one  hundred  feet,  or  if  like  the  Los  Angeles 
bed,  then  the  boring  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  has  not  yet  penetrated 
through  it.  There  are  reasons  for  the  supposition  that  this  blue  clay  is  not  less 
than  that  of  the  valley  of  Santa  Clara,  and  the  likelihood  of  its  being  much  thicker 
is  admissible.  We  think  two  hundred  feet  might  be  set  down  as  a  reasonable  sup 
position  respecting  its  depth,  which,  should  it  prove  correct,  will  present  the  proba 
bilities  of  obtaining  water  from  beneath  it,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  from  Sac 
ramento  City,  about  at  the  same  depth  at  which  we  estimated  it  last  year, — the 
difference  between  the  estimate  of  last  year  and  the  present,  being  only  forty-five 
feet,  and  both  estimates  being  made  without  any  reference  to  each  other.  In  the 
northern  part  of  the  valley,  the  heavy  deposit  of  clay  which  has  been  mentioned  as 
resting  on  the  slates,  so  far  as  opportunity  offered  for  examining  it,  seemed  but  little 
disturbed,  and  from  its  general  appearance,  I  was  subsequently  led  to  the  belief 
that  it  was  the  same  as  that  found  on  the  surface  of  the  lower  bottoms  further  south. 
But  I  am  unable  to  speak  with  much  certainty  upon  that  point,  as  no  organic 
remains  were  observed  by  which  its  identity  could  be  satisfactorily  proved.  The 
presumption  upon  this  subject,  that  it  is  identical,  is  based  on  the  very  tenacious 
character  which  it  possessed,  and  its  peculiarity  of  color,  two  features  noticeable 
only  in  these  lower  beds  on  the  southern  levels  of  the  plain. 

Should  this  bed  ultimately  prove  to  be  identical  with  those  forming  the  surface 
of  the  lower  bottoms,  for  which  result  we  have  good  grounds  of  supposition,  then  its 
thickness  as  indicated  by  its  outcrop  in  the  upper  part  of  the  valley  cannot  be  less 
than  we  have  herein  estimated  it,  and  would  fix  the  bottom  of  that  deposit  at  the 
depth  of  a  little  more  than  seven  hundred  feet.  Short  of  this  water  will  not  proba 
bly  be  found  in  that  of  the  country  in  any  permanent  supply. 

The  depth  of  seven  hundred  feet  for  an  artesian  well  is  not  excessive,  and  may 
be  esteemed  even  small,  when  we  consider  to  what  depths  this  description  of  wells 
have  been  carried  in  other  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Europe.  A  failure  to 
obtain  water  at  this  depth  should  not  discourage  the  enterprise,  for  the  structure  of 
this  basin,  in  every  part  of  it,  is  such  as  to  warrant  a  certainty  of  obtaining  water 
beneath  its  surface  if  the  operation  of  boring  is  carried  to  the  extent  which  the 
geological  conformation  of  the  ground  requires.  The  case  of  the  artesian  well  in 
North  Carolina  which  has  been  completed  within  the  past  year,  furnishes  a  good 
illustration  of  the  depth  to  which  it  may,  at  times,  be  necessary  to  descend  to  obtain 
a  permanent  supply  of  water.  This  well  has  been  completed  at  a  depth  of  2700 
feet,  and  a  copious  supply  obtained.  This  fact  alone  should  be  an  incentive  to  perse 
verance  in  the  prosecution  of  such  enterprises  beyond  any  depth  to  which  they 
have  yet  reached  in  our  State. 

A  great  uniformity  appears  "in  the  disposition  of  the  earthy  deposits  forming  the 
superstructure  of  the  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento  valleys,  above  the  rocks  at  their 
base.  The  interesting  suite  of  specimens  from  the  artesian  boring  at  Stockton, 
sent  by  Mr.  George  E.  Drew  to  the  Academy  of  Natural  Science  at  San  Francisco, 
with  an  accompanying  paper  giving  the  depth  of  each  of  the  beds,  and  their  respect 
ive  distances  below  the  surface,  assists  us  much,  with  other  collateral  evidences  in 
forming  an  opinion  of  the  relative  positions  of  the  bedg  below  and  those  above  the 


59 

surface,  and  which  are  equivalent,  the  one  with  the  other.  The  following  table 
will  exhibit  the  relations  of  these  beds,  though  nearly  two  hundred  miles  apart. 

With  the  exception  of  the  upper  gravel  beds,  which  occur  in  the  higher  terraces 
of  the  northern  part  of  the  Sacramento  Valley,  the  beds  below  the  surface  on  the 
San  Joaquin  will  be  found  to  correspond  in  their  general  features  very  closely  with 
the  deposits  which  are  traceable  above  the  surface,  from  the  City  of  Sacramento  to 
the  south  banks  of  the  Pitt  River. 

The  figures  give  the  maximum  depths  at  which  each  of  the  deposits  were  met 
with  in  both  sections  of  the  State,  and  the  diagrams  exhibiting  the  transverse  and 
longitudinal  sections  of  the  plains,  show  the  relative  positions  of  the  respective  beds 
as  far  as  known  at  the  present  time. 


TABLE    SHOWING    THE    POSITION   OF    THE    EARTHY    DEPOSITS  OF  THE  PLAINS  OF  THE 
SAN    JOAQUIN    AND    SACRAMENTO    ABOVE    AND    BELOW    THE    SURFACE. 

Beds  of  the  San  Joaquin  below  the  surface. 

Light  dark  red  clays  and  sand,  •                                                     40 

Grey  sand  and  clay,       -             -  -             -                           -     170 

Blue  clay,  gravel  and  sand  above,  -.             -                                     "237 

Light  grey  sand,             -  -                           -     265 

Fine  clear  gravel,      -  -                                        -           346 

Blue  clay,  -                          -    400 

Total,  400 

£eds  of  the  Savramento  above  the  surface. 

Alluvium,  lava,  light  red  clays,  52 

Upper  gravel  beds,  -       66 

Light  sandy  clay,     -  160 

Sand,  gravel,  blue  clay  below,    -  -    225 

Light  greyish  sands,                                                                -  276 

Fine  gravel,  sand  and  blue  clay,  -    338 

Blue  clay,     -                                     -  358 

Total,  358 

The  above  table  exhibits  a  strong  coincidence  in  the  coverings  of  the  valleys 
at  nearly  two  extremes  of  the  State,  and  the  observations  leading  to  the  above 
results  being  entirely  unconnected  with  each  other,  there  certainly  exists  good 
reason  for  the  belief  that  the  earthy  coverings  above  the  stratified  rocks  will 
maintain  a  great  degree  of  uniformity  over  the  entire  basin. 

The  depth  of  the  Stockton  well  is  not  so  great  as  the  boring  at  Los  Angeles, 
the  latter  being  465  feet  below  the  surface  point  of  starting,  432  feet  of  which 
has  been  carried  through  the  blue  clay  entirely.  This  clay  has  increased  in  den 
sity  and  hardness  as  they  descend,  and  contains  embedded  boulders  of  other 
rocks. 

For  the  above  information  I  am  indebted  to  Messrs.  Butts  &  Wheeler,  of  Los 
Angeles,  in  a  letter  describing  the  progress  of  the  well  after  I  left  that  part  of 
the  State,  during  the  month  of  October.  The  Santa  Clara  wells  produce  their 
supply  of  water  from  a  bed  of  fiue  gray  sand,  which  lies  immediately  beneath 
the  heavy  clay  bed,  which  varies  from  75  feet  to  about  100  feet  in  thickness. 


60 

On  the  plains  of  the  Sacramento  there  are  some  additional  aqueous  deposits 
which  have  not  made  their  appearance  in  the  line  of  the  Stockton  well,  but  they 
may  have  arisen  from  changes  in  the  respective  levels  of  water  courses,  such  as 
have  been  known  to  have  taken  place  within  comparatively  short  periods,  an 
illustration  of  which  is  to  be  found  in  two  instances  with  respect  to  the  bed  of 
the  Sacramento  River.  The  old  bed  of  that  stream,  about  nine  miles  south  of 
Shasta  City,  may  be  easily  traced  at  a  distance  of  four  to  eight  miles  from  the 
present  course  of  the  River,  at  a  level  of  about  three  feet  above  medium  stag<  s 
of  water,  and  running  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  line  on  which  the  River  now 
runs. 

The  differences  caused  by  these  additional  beds,  however,  are  very  trifling. 
Their  aggregate  would  only  amount  to  about  34  feet  in  a  line  of  distance  of 
290  miles,  and  would  not,  therefore,  affect  any  general  result  in  relation  to  those 
wells. 

The  annexed  diagram,  exhibiting  a  longitudinal  and  transverse  section  of  the 
plains  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin,  will  exhibit  more  plainly  than  lan 
guage  can  convey,  an  idea  of  the  structure  of  these  plains  so  far  as  known  at 
the  present  time. 

The  diagram  No.  1  shows  a  section  carried  through  the  major  axis  of  the 
valley,  comprising  an  air-line  distance  of  160  miles,  or  from  the  upper  terrace 
at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  valley,  south  to  a  point  opposite  to  the  City  of 
Sacramento  in  the  County  of  Yolo.  The  lower  clay  bed  is  indicated  at  the 
different  points  at  which  it  was  noticed,  which  will  be  seen,  by  reference  to  the 
sketch,  in  the  arroya  south  of  Tehama;  and  again  on  the  banks  of  the  lake  on 
the  western  side  of  the  Sacramento  River.  This  is  probably  the  same  bed 
which  is  found  resting  upon  the  slates  some  twenty-five  miles  north  of  the  limits 
represented  in  the  sketch.  By  reference  to  the  letter  of  Mr.  Drew,  respecting 
the  Stockton  well,  which  we  have  exhibited  in  a  tabular  form,  a  close  similarity 
of  the  beds  of  the  two  districts  will  be  observed,  and  if  the  waters  which  sink 
beneath  the  surface  in  the  more  elevated  districts  of  these  plains,  pass  beneath 
this  bed,  (and  from  the  evidences  before  us,  such  seems  to  be  the  fact),  it  will 
be  necessary,  as  a  consequence,  to  penetrate  it  in  order  to  obtain  any  consider 
able  supply  of  water.  I  entertain  but  little  doubt  that  the  foregoing  remarks 
afford  a  correct  idea  of  the  true  position  of  matters  below  the  surface  of  the 
plains,  and  we  are  warranted  in  these  conclusions  from  an  examination  of  the 
outcropping  materials  on  the  flanks  of  the  valley  for  miles  in  extent.  The  out 
crops  of  the  slates,  sandstone  and  clays,  on  the  west  sides  of  the  plains,  are  the 
equivalents  of  those  which  we  may  expect  to  find  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
valley,  and  from  the  positions  of  the  sedimentary  rocks  on  the  eastern  borders, 
we  are  not  warranted  in  any  other  conclusion  than  that  waters  are  flowing  in 
subterranean  streams  on  the  more  impervious  materials  comprising  the  basis  oi 
these  plains. 

From  the  observations  which  I  have  been  able  to  make  during  the  past  season 
upon  these  districts  of  the  State,  there  have  been  no  new  facts  elicited  which 
would  induce  any  modification  of  the  opinion  entertained  and  expressed  in  my 
former  report,  respecting  the  probable  depths  which  it  will  be  necessary  to  reach 
in  order  to  obtain  water  from  artesian  wells.  If  there  exists  any  reason  for  a 
change  of  those  opinions,  it  rather  tends  to  the  increase  of  the  depth  which  may 
be  required.  I  still  feel  confident  that  the  former  conclusions  will  be  found  cor 
rect,  and  the  figures  true  as  to  the  point  at  which  perennial  springs  will  be 
reached.  All  the  evidences  I  can  command  only  tend  to  strengthen  this  confi 
dence.  Still  it  should  be  recollected  that  it  is  beyond  the  power  of  man  to 
demonstrate,  with  absolute  certainty,  the  depth  of  the  stratified  rocks  which  form 
these  plains,  without  actual  penetration  through  them,  and  the  feasibility  of  an 


61 

operation  of  this  kind  is  demonstrable  only  so  far  as  may  be  legitimately  inferred 
from  the  natural  position  of  the  substratum  as  presented  in  their  outcrop  upon 
the  borders  of  such  plains.  We  should  have  in  view,  at  the  same  time,  the 
probable  effect  of  those  disruptive  agencies  which  have  elevated  the  edges  on 
either  hand,  and  the  law  which  governs  those  effects,  when  exerted  over  long 
distances.  In  this  country,  as  in  every  other  which  is  similarly  situated,  the 
smallest  amount  of  inclination  will  be  produced  on  originally  horizontal  strata 
at  the  greatest  distance  from  the  immediate  center  of  disturbance.  On  this 
rule  was  founded  the  position  assumed  in  my  former  report,  in  relation  to  this 
subject,  which  is  here  referred  to,  together  with  a  transverse  section  of  the  val 
ley,  in  order  the  more  fully  to  illustrate  this  portion  of  the  present  report. 

The  superficial  structure  of  the  plain  is  now  known  to  a  depth  of  400  feet 
below  the  service,  and  if  it  be  admitted  that  the  rocks  beneath  the  surface  at 
the  center  are  in  their  proper  position,  which  will  be  found  to  be  the  case,  tak 
ing  the  preceding  rule  as  the  basis  of  our  calculations,  we  may  thus  be  enabled 
to  make  an  approximation  of  the  depth  to  the  surface  of  the  underlying  rocks, 
the  superior  of  which  is  probably  sandstone  imposed  upon  a  firm  conglomerate 
beneath  them. 

It  was  stated  in  the  report  of  last  year,  that  a  permanent  supply  of  water 
would  not,  in  all  probability,  be  obtained  before  the  sandstone  had  been  perfor 
ated,  unless,  perchance,  an  arenaceous  deposit  should  exist  below  the  heavy  upper 
clay  beds,  and  this  underlaid  by  a  deposit  of  plastic  clays  or  argillaceous  slates  ; 
in  that  case  the  depth  of  water  would  fall  within  800  feet. 

I  am  not  aware  of  any  facts  which  would  modify  that  opinion,  and  it  is  far 
better  for  us  to  have  the  probable  maximum  before  us  rather  than  the  minim  am 
of  depth  required,  for,  should  we  base  our  estimates  of  cost  upon  the  latter, 
there  are  strong  probabilities  that  failure  in  obtaining  water  from  these  sources 
would  be  the  result  even  though  a  comparatively  small  depth  might  intervene 
between  the  point  of  suspension  and  the  point  at  which  water  might  be  found. 

An  examination  of  the  diagram  exhibiting  the  transverse  section  of  the  basin 
will  develope  the  fact  that  the  Stockton  well  is  in  all  probability  but  little  more 
than  half  way  down  to  the  position  assigned  to  the  upper  beds  of  sandstone, 
and  it  is  quite  certain  that  if  water  is  not  obtained  before  reaching  those  rocks, 
that  it  will  be  necessary  to  penetrate  through  their  beds  and  obtain  the  supply 
on  the  surface  of  the  conglomerate.  The  only  prospects  of  a  permanent  supply 
of  water  being  obtained  at  any  depth  less  than  twelve  hundred  feet,  are  the 
probabilities  which  may  exist  of  a  deposit  of  sand  being  found  immediately 
below  the  beds  which  are  now  being  bored,  and  this  resting  on  an  impervious 
deposit  as  above  mentioned. 

The  following  table  of  estimated  depths  under  such  a  contingency  as  last  pro 
posed  is  given  in  order  to  direct  attention  to  all  of  the  favorable  constructions 
which  may  be  adduced  upon  this  interesting  subject,  and  hoping  that  citizens 
interested  in  it  may  be  properly  encouraged  to  persevere  to  the  attainment  of 
successful  practical  results.  The  depths'  in  this  table  are  estimated  for  a  supply 
of  water  above  the  sandstone,  and  at  given  distances  east  and  west  of  the  City 
of  Sacramento,  and  will  be  equally  applicable  to  other  localities  upon  these 
plains,  so  far  as  they  maintain  nearly  the  same  level  above  tide  water. 


TABLE  SHOWING  THE  PROBABLE  DEPTH  OF  A  PERMANENT  SUPPLY  OF  WATER  ABOVE  THE 

SANDSTONE. 

FEET. 

At  Sacramento  City,    -                                                  -  *^         -     775 

Twelve  miles  east  of  Sacramento  City,  700 

Seventeen     "                    "  -     660 

Twenty        "                    "                                                        -  625 

West  of  Sacramento,  (at  Washington),  -  -     775 

Eleven  miles  west  of  Sacramento,     -                         -  700 

Fifteen          "                    "  t        - .  ».  650 

Twenty-two  "  550 

To  this  table  may  be  added  380  feet,  should  it  become  necessary  to  descend 
through  the  sandstones  and  upper  beds  of  slates,  which  we  have  arranged  as 
belonging  to  the  superior  beds  which  form  the  basis  of  the  Valley. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  estimate  the  increased  value  of  the  lands  lying  upon 
these  extensive  plains  when  the  fact  has  once  been  demonstrated  that  water  can 
be  obtained  from  these  sources;  at  the  same  time  it  must  be  seen  that  individ 
ual  enterprise  alone  will  not  be  equal  to  the  task  of  penetrating  such  depths,  in 
consequence  of  the  heavy  expense  which  must  be  incurred  in  the  undertaking. 
Few  individuals  are  possessed  of  a  landed  estate  of  sufficient  extent  and  value 
to  warrant  their  embarking  in  such  an  expensive  and  costly  operation.  The 
State  has,  perhaps,  a  much  greater  interest  in  this  matter  than  any  other  land 
holder,  from  her  large  landed  possessions  on  these  plains,  and  we  here  suggest 
the  wisdom  of  the  policy  on  her  part,  which  shall  take  the  initiative,  if  it  were 
only  to  carry  one  shaft  to  the  required  depth  at  which  water  can  be  obtained. 
Not  only  would  one  success  of  this  kind  greatly  enhance  the  value  of  her  own 
lands,  but  it  would  also  prove  a  strong  incentive  to  combinations  of  individuals 
for  the  attainment  of  similar  objects  respecting  private  property.  It  is  evident 
ly  the  fear  of  failure  which  now  deters  many  from  undertaking  the  enterprise, 
consequently  each  district  is  now  waiting  for  some  neighboring  section  to  enter 
the  field,  the  effect  of  which  is  to  retard  the  settlement  and  cultivation  of  the 
country,  and  affect  materially  the  general  prosperity.  The  effect  of  partial  fail 
ures  in  obtaining  water  at  small  depths,  and  with  limited  means,  will  be  that 
these  operations  will  be  esteemed  unavailable,  and  it  therefore  becomes  a  matter 
of  both  public  and  private  pecuniary  interest  to  determine  at  what  depth  it  will 
be  necessary  to  descend,  in  order  that  a  permanent  supply  may  be  obtained. 
After  the  solution  of  this  matter  by  fair  practical  experiment,  it  would  be  found 
that  all  individual  and  corporate  enterprises  would  be  governed  by  its  results. 

I  have  conversed  with  two  intelligent  gentlemen  who  have  been  large  contractors 
in  well  boring,  in  the  Atlantic  States,  and  they  have  given  it  as  their  opinion,  that 
an  eight  inch  bore  cannot  be  carried  to  the  depth  or  twelve  hundred  feet  in  Cali 
fornia  for  any  sum  less  than  $14,000.  This  fact  alone  would  be  sufficient  to  deter 
almost  any  individual  from  an  attempt  to  sink  a  well  of  this  character,  unless  there 
should  be  a  probability  almost  strong  enough  to  approach  a  reasonable  certainty 
that  success  would  crown  the  enterprize.  The  sinking  of  one  well  to  the  requisite 
depth,  would  have  the  effect  of  imparting  confidence  in  the  undertaking,  which  no 
other  circumstances  can  ever  inspire.  If  this  were  done  by  the  State,  the  exten 
sive  area  of  lands  lying  upon  the  valleys,  and  belonging  to  her,  which  under  present 
circumstances  must  be  sold  at  vey  low  rates  from  their  desiccated  character,  would 
rise  in  intrinsic  and  market  value  sufficiently  to  more  than  repay  the  State  for  the 
expense  of  their  reclamation. 

The  immediate  occupancy  and  improvement  of  the  broad  plains  of  California 


63 

would  follow  fast  upon  the  steps  of  any  system  of  irrigation  which  would  successful 
ly  redeem  their  lands  from  that  arid  condition  which  for  half  the  year  gives  them 
more  the  character  of  deserts  than  of  habitable  countries.  Such  a  process  of  im 
provement  would  thus  lead  the  State  to  new  sources  of  revenue,  not  only  in  the 
enhanced  value  of  her  own  lands,  but  also  in  the  greatly  increased  value  and  amount 
of  the  improved  lands  of  individual  property  taxable  for  governmental  purposes. 

There  is  no  part  of  the  country  more  inviting  in  point  of  fertility  of  soil  and  sa 
lubrity  of  climate  than  these  valleys,  and  none  which  would  be  more  tempting  to 
the  ambition  of  the  agriculturist,  if  the  additional  feature  of  a  plentiful  supply  of 
good  water  could  crown  the  advantages  which  these  lands  possess,  being  in  their 
central  position  between  the  markets  of  the  mining  towns  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  cities  of  the  seaboard  on  the  other. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  general  attention  may  be  turned  to  this  subject,  and  that  it 
will  meet  with  such  deliberation  too  on  the  part  of  the  State  Government  as  its  im 
portance  would  suggest.  The  higher  portions  of  these  plains,  where  nature  has 
supplied  them  with  moisture,  are  found  to  be  abundantly  productive,  both  for  pas 
turage  and  the  culture  of  grains,  and  if  this  moisture  could  by  any  means  be  secured 
throughout  the  summer  season  in  the  now  arid  portions,  there  would  be  no  obstacle 
to  the  settlement  through  the  valleys  of  an  active  and  prosperous  agricultural  pop 
ulation. 


TERTIARY    ROCKS    AND    OTHER   DEPOSITS    OF    THE    SIERRA 

NEVADA. 

We  shall  now  pass  to  the  notice  of  the  rocks  belonging  to  the  tertiary  periods, 
\\hich  are  found  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  which  extend  from  the  middle  sections 
of  these  mountains  to  the  east  of  the  foot-hills  and  under  the  eastern  borders  of  the 
valleys  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin.  They  consist  of  sandstone,  slates, 
conglomerates,  and  heavy  beds  of  gravel  drift,  alternating  with  sands  and  clays — of 
the  latter  group,  many  are  found  in  an  indurated  state,  at  times  possessing  a  stony 
hardness,  and  at  others  the  same  bed  is  frequently  found  loose  and  incoherent. 

On  examining  the  rocks  of  this  district  of  the  State  in  the  month  of  June  last, 
it  was  found  that  the  tertiaries  were  resting  upon  the  granites  direct,  and  that  the 
granite  had  been  uncovered  by  placer  mining  to  a  much  more  westerly  extent  than 
had  previously  been  assigned  to  their  positions.  These  operations  placed  us  in 
possession  of  the  facts,  that  they  formed  the  base  of  the  table  lands  near  Willow 
Springs,  and  within  22  miles  of  the  City  of  Sacramento.  The  aqueous  deposits 
which  are  found  resting  upon  the  granites,  exhibit  themselves  as  out-liers,  forming 
the  main  body  of  the  first  range  of  plateaus  above  the  plain,  and  are  of  the  utmost 
importance  in  determining  the  relative  ages  of  contiguous  rocks  to  the  east. 

West  of  Willow  Springs,  in  the  county  of  Sacramento,  the  slates  and  sandstones 
crop  out  near  the  edge  of  the  plains  ;  they  soon  become  covered  with  the  alluvial 
drift,  and  are  not  met  with  again  in  travelling  to  the  east  until  arriving  at  the  first 
range  of  hills  beyond  the  above  mentioned  locality.  Between  the  springs  and 
these  hills,  the  only  surface  rock  is  the  granite,  forming  the  "  bed  rock  "  of 
this  section  for  several  miles,  and  lying  at  an  average  depth  of  about  twenty-five 
feet  below  the  surface.  At  the  distance  of  eight  miles  (air  line)  east  of  the 
Springs,  these  rocks  disappear,  and  are  replaced  by  beds  of  indurated  gravel  drift, 
having  large  quantities  of  a  coarse  granitic  sand  commingled  ;  this  latter  article 
being  heavily  charged  with  iron,  which  forms  the  cementing  medium  of  these  beds. 
This  drift-bed  has  been  pierced  to  the  depth  of  ninety -four  feet  with  shifts  sunk  for 
mining  purposes. 


64 

At'the  depth  of  forty-three  feet  from  the  surface,  a  bed  of  marine  shells  was 
found  in  fine  gravel  and  sand,  cemented  by  iron,  giving  the  mass  a  considerable  de 
gree  of  firmness.  Below  the  first  fossil  bed  there  were  alternating  beds  of  sand  and 
gravel,  in  which  were  imbedded  the  teeth  of  sharks  and  other  portions  of  the  skele 
tons  of  fishes  ;  commingled  with  these  were  the  remains  of  mollusca  in  large  quan 
tities,  and  of  various  species.  From  the  specimens  obtained,  it  appears  very  cer 
tain  that  these  beds  were  deposited  upon  the  granitic  rocks  direct,  as  the  fossil 
specimens  in  the  State  collection  will  abundantly  prove,  for  in  these  the  fossil  may 
be  seen  adhering  firmly  to  that  rock. 

Above  this  heavy  bed  of  drift,  and  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  to  the  south, 
the  conglomerates  crop  out  and  form  the  summit  of  a  high  table  ridge,  on  exami 
ning  which,  the  marks  of  the  old  water  line  of  the  sea  were  distinctly  engraved 
upon  its  surface  for  a  linear  disiance  of  nearly  three  miles.  These  rocks  extend 
north  and  south  from  this  point,  forming  the  summits  of  a  set  of  similar  table 
ridges,  for  a  distance  of  20  miles,  beyond  which  they  were  not  followed  in  this 
State. 

The  altitude  of  these  marine  beds  above  the  level  of  the  sea  is  less  than  800 
feet,  and  in  three  localities  they  were  found  to  range  between  900  and  1000 
feet.  I  consider  these  as  corresponding  with  equivalent  beds  at  the  distance  of 
150  miles  farther  north.  In  this  section  of  the  State  we  have  another  illustra 
tion  of  those  periodical  elevations  which  form  so  conspicuous  a  feature  in  almost 
every  district  which  has  been  visited,  and  which  will  prove  a  constant  attendant 
of  the  traveler  wherever  he  may  wend  his  way. 

The  most  eastern  limit  at  which  these  tertiaries  have  been  met  with,  is  upon  a 
line  running  north  and  south  and  cutting  through  Mormon  Island  on  the  south 
branch  of  the  American  River.  The  fossils  beds  will  be  found  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  following  localities,  viz  :  Texas  Flat,  Half  Way  House.,  Volca 
no  Ridge,  and  Mississippi  Flats  in  the  county  of  Placer.  The  conglomerates  pn 
these  table  ridges  are  the  same  as  those  which  pass  beneath  the  edge  of  the  valley, 
and  it  is  in  this  section  of  the  State,  that  the  thickness  of  those  rocks  can  be 
ascertained  with  a  precision,  sufficiently  accurate  for  any  practical  purpose. 

By  reference  to  my  notes  taken  at  the  beds,  I  find  the  following  to  be  the  order 
and  thickness  of  the  deposits  as  they  occur  at  the  different  localities  above  named, 
and  which  are  known  to  reach  the  edge  of  the  plains  immediately  to  the  west.  This 
table  includes  the  rocks  only,  and  such  as  are  known '  to  pass  beneath  the  eastern 
border  of  the  valley,  and  may  serve  to  direct  those  operations  which  were  spoken 
of  in  the  preceding  article. 

THICKNESS    OF    THE    SEDIMENTARY     ROCKS    IN    THE    SIERRA    NEVADA. 

East  of  the  border  of  the  Valley. 

Argillaceous  Slates, 

Conglomerates, 

Clay,  sands  and  gravels, 

Total, 

At  the  border  of  the  Valley. 

FEET 

Argillaceous  Slates, 

Conglomerates,  270 

Sand,  Clays,  &c.,  56 

Total, '-        -        456 


65 

The  fossil  drift  beneath  the  conglomerate  east  of  the  plain  is  not  perceptible  to 
that  extent  which  would  guide  us  to  any  conclusion  as  to  the  depths  to  which  it  de 
scends  at  the  edge  of  the  valley.  Therefore  no  estimate  is  entered  for  this  deposit 
in  this  table. 

The  survey  of  the  U.  S.  Kail  Road  Expedition,  for  1854,  has  demonstrated  that 
the  fossil  deposits  of  this  range  of  country,  are  continuous  to  the  extreme  southern 
portion  of  the  Tulare  plains.  The  fossils  of  Pose  Creek  appear  identical  with 
those  of  the  counties  of  Placer  and  Sacramento,  but  I  am  unable  to  give  their 
differences  in  altitude  if  any  exist,  as  the  observations  which  would  determine  that 
point,  are  not  accessible  at  the  present  time. 

Between  the  Tulare  plains  and  the  American  River,  there  are  some  fou  or  five 
other  localities  in  which  the  tertiary  deposits  have  been  observed,  and  which  con 
tain  imbedded  fossils  closely  allied  to  those  found  in  the  localities  specified  ;  and  the 
evidences  thus  furnished  in  relation  to  this  subject  are  very  conclusive  in  their  char 
acter,  as  pointing  to  that  period  when  the  Tertiary  seas  had  their  boundaries  far  to 
the  east  of  their  present  limits.  A  recession  of  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean 
has  therefore  taken  place,  to  the  distance  of  140  miles,  since  the  period  at  which 
those  fossils  lived.  A  suite  of  these  specimens  for  the  State  collection  has  been 
secured,  from  this  very  interesting  portion  of  the  State,  a  list  of  which  will  be  found 
appended  to  this  report. 

We  have  now  a  more  practical  and  economical  view  to  take  of  this  subject,  so 
far  as  relates  to  the  positions  of  these  beds,  and  as  this  will  involve  a  pecuniary  in 
terest  in  which  the  mining  community  are  directly  concerned,  I  solicit  their  partic 
ular  attention,  as  well  as  that  of  the  State  authority,  to  the  subject. 

In  order  that  a  better  understanding  of  the  position  of  these  rocks  may  be  ob 
tained,  the  following  table  showing  their  natural  and  relative  positions  is  inserted. 
It  commences  at  a  point  due  north  of  Beale's  Bar  and  continues  west  to  the  ends 
of  the  plains  : 

Beale's  Bar, 
Texas  Flat, 
Slates, 

Conglomerate, 
Fossil  Beds, 

Mfeet  Shaft. 

JLlder  Springs, 

Conglomerates, 

Fossil  Beds, 
Granite.  Granite.  Granite. 

Plains 

From  the  above  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  94  feet  shaft  which  was  sunk  on 
whut  is  familiarly  known  as  volcano  ridge  in  the  county  of  Placer  did  not  reach 
that  point  at  which  the  drift  deposit  containing  gold  may  be  expected  to  occur. — 
This  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  at  Alder  Springs,  a  short  distance  to  the  west,  t'le 
basis  rock  is  granitic,  and  the  auriferous  deposit  is  found  lying  upon  it,  and  belo  7 
the  conglomerates  and  fossil  beds  to  the  east.  The  same  fact  is  noticeable  at  tw  > 
other  mining  localities  to  the  south  and  west  of  Alder  Springs,  also  in  the  flats  som  > 
three  miles  to  the  north  of  Beale's  Bar.  There  are  then  at  least  five  diflerent  posi 
tions  at  which  the  fossil  beds  are  known  to  lie  above  the  auriferous  drift,  and  ths 
positions  assigned  to  the  beds  under  consideration  in  the  table  furnish  the  data  on 
which  to  found  the  conclusion.  They  occupy  the  terraced  positions  as  occurring  afc 
the  points  designated,  denudation  having  caused  the  outliers  to  the  west  of  Aldar 
Springs.  Similar  peculiarities  are  also  noticeable  in  some  of  the  lower  minin  5 
localities  further  to  the  south,  where  the  workable  placers  are  found  to  occupy  alikj 
position  among  the  hills  a  few  miles  east  of  the  plains. 

The  position  of  those  beds  as  they  are  found  to  occur  in  the  lower  hills,  and  where 
also  the  best  opportunities  are  offered  for  their  study,  leads  us  to  the  conclusion  thai 


66 

during  this  portion  of  the  tertiary  era  a  submarine  deposit  of  drift  was  formed  and 
that  subsequently  the  superior  conglomerates  had  their  origin,  and  are  now  found 
superimposed  upon  the  deposits  above  named.  Should  this  doctrine  be  finally 
demonstrated  by  more  extensive  and  well  directed  improvements  in  mining  opera 
tions,  and  the  facts  before  us  at  the  present  moment  most  certainly  favor  the  pre 
sumption  that  it  is  probably  correct,  than  a  new  and  wider  field  for  mining  opera 
tions  is  soon  to  open  in  this  district  of  the  State,  and  we  may  reasonably  expect  to 
meet  with  deposits  equally  valuable  beneath  these  rocks  in  other  parts  of  the  State, 
on  the  same  line  of  elevation,  as  those  which  have  already  been  developed  in  the 
counties  of  Placer  and  Sacramento. 

In  this  State  it  is  well  known  that  numerous  instances  have  occurred  in  the  min 
ing  districts  where  the  miners  have  passed  through  the  sedimentary  rocks,  (slates,) 
and  found  the  deposits  of  gravel  drift  beneath,  the  same  containing  gold  in  fully 
equal  quantities  with  that  found  in  the  surface  material  above  them,  and  which  was 
thought  the  foundation  stone  below  which  no  gold  would  be  found.  These 
suggestions  are  not  made  as  bringing  to  light  any  new  principle  in  relation  to  placer 
deposits,  for  facts  of  similar  character  have  been  known  for  three  years  past  in  different 
sections  of  the  State.  The  present  case  relating  to  the  placer  deposits  of  the  coun 
ties  of  Sacramento  and  Placer,  may  be  regarded  as  corroborative  testimony  of  our 
former  knowledge,  and  the  existence  of  a  much  more  extensive  range  of  this  char 
acter,  than  has  heretofore  been  discovered. 

The  position  of  these  auriferous  deposits  in  the  counties  above  named,  and  the 
corresponding  character  of  a  large  portion  of  country  lying  north  and  south  of  the 
above  section  is  adverted  to  at  the  present  moment  for  the  purpose  of  directing  at 
tention  to  those  districts  near  the  foot-hills  which  present  similar  features,  and  which 
are  as  yet  untouched.  These  districts  on  either  hand  having  the  same  altitude 
above  the  plains  present  equal  certainties  of  the  existence  of  the  same  deposits  as 
those  met  with  in  the  county  of  Placer.  Under  the  head  of  placer  mining,  I  shall 
have  occasion  to  allnde  to  this  subject  again. 

The  other  members  of  the  tertiary  group  on  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
consists  of  sandstones  and  clays,  the  most  important  of  which  are  found  upon  the 
Cosumnes  and  other  rivers  south  of  this  stream.  The  sandstone  beds  as  far  as  ex 
amined  have  every  appearance  of  being  much  more  recent  than  any  member  of  the 
stratified  rocks  of  which  we  have  heretofore  spoken,  and  their  position  is  evidently 
tinconformable  with  the  latter,  resting  very  evidently  on  rocks  having  a  much  high 
er  degree  of  inclination.  In  fav< ;rable  localities  for  their  examination,  I  have  found 
their  depth  to  exceed  110  feet.  An  instance  of  this  kind  is  afforded  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Tuolumne  River,  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  east  of  Jackson's  Ferry. 

As  a  general  rule,  these  rocks  have  been  but  little,  if  any,  disturbed,  having 
but  a  slight  inclination  from  the  horizontal,  and  it  might  be  said  none,  except 
that  which  is  found  to  correspond  with  the  gradiency  of  the  plains  beyond,  and 
seldom  exceeding  two  or  three  degrees.  Immediately  east  of  these  deposits, 
and  as  you  enter  the  hills,  the  other  sedimentary  rocks  are  seen  cropping  out 
and  assuming  high  angles  of  inclination  which  are  found  to  increase  as  you 
travel  in  an  easterly  direction. 

Sufficient  opportunity  did  not  offer  for  a  more  critical  examination  of  the  re 
cent  sandstones  than  that  of  a  mere  passing  notice.  It  would  be  desirable  that 
they  should  receive  a  closer  investigation  during  the  coming  season,  than  was 
afforded,  from  want  of  time  during  the  past  summer.  Their  proper  place  in  the 
tertiary  formations  must  be  deferred  until  that  time  shall  arrive,  when  we  shall 
be  able  to  speak  with  more  precision  in  relation  to  the  peculiarities  which  they 
may  present.  The  older  tertiaries  in  the  more  elevated  portions  of  the  moun 
tains  are  more  or  less  auriferous  in  n'early  every  locality  in  which  they  have  been 
examined. 

The  soft  clays  which  are  at  times  found  between  the  slates  and  conglomerates, 


67 

and  the  gravel  beds  which  are  also  found  beneath  the  latter,  are  of  the  same 
character  in  as  marked  a  degree  as  the  drift  beds  of  the  surface  which  are  im 
posed  upon  them.  So  far  as  those  beds  have  been  opened  there  appears  little  or 
no  exception  to  the  rule. 

Within  the  last  year  the  older  conglomerate  rocks  have  been  found  to  contain 
gold,  but  not  to  that  extent  which  would  warrant  mining  explorations.  The 
fact,  however,  is  sufficiently  well  established  to  require  notice  in  this  place. 

The  sedimentary  rocks  extend  eastward  in  the  more  central  mining  counties 
to  within  twelve  miles  of  the  summit  ridge  of  the  chain.  Here  a  few  imperfect 
fossils  have  been  found,  but  none  of  sufficient  distinctness  to  determine  either  their 
geological  position  or  character  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  It  is  proper  to 
state  however  that  there  are  some  evidences  of  the  cretaceous,  or  perhaps,  the 
upper  secondary  rocks  being  found  in  those  districts,  though  as  yet  it  is  a  mat 
ter  of  much  doubt,  arising  from  the  imperfect  condition  of  the  organic  remains 
found  imbedded  within  them. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  approximate  depths  of  the  superficial  cover 
ings  of  the  mountain  mining  districts,  in  which  that  department  of  industry  is 
conducted.  The  table  is  intended  to  represent  the  more  central  line  of  country 
which  corresponds  with  the  trend  of  the  chain,  and  is  usually  found  at  a  distance 
(air  line,)  of  about  forty  miles  from  the  eastern  border  of  the  plains.  It  will 
include  in  its  range  the  towns  of  Forest  City,  Nevada,  Georgetown,  Volcano, 
Mokelumne  Hill,  and  Sonora. 


TABLE. 
Sierra. 

Gravel  drift  60  feet 

Light  gray  and  blue  clays  -      15    " 

Blue  clays                                                     -  15    " 

Gravel  and  sands  -      30    " 

Clays,  with  lignites  18    " 

Blue  clays        -                         -  -      25    " 

Clays,  with  leaves  8    " 

Auriferous  gravel                                              -  18    " 

Slates                                                            -  22    " 
Primitive  rocks. 

Total,  -    201  feet. 
El  Dorado. 

Gravel  drift  60  feet. 

Blue  and  brown  clays  -      20    " 

Cemented  drift,  clays,  and  lignites  40 

Sand  clays       -  -      20    ' 

Clays,  with  leaves             -  10    " 

Sandy  clays  and  lignites           -  10    " 

Coarse  sand,  pyritous  4    " 

Auriferous  gravel  -      25    " 
Primitive  rocks. 

Total, 189  feet, 


68 


Amador  and  Calaveras. 

Gravel  drift     -  -      60  feet 

Clays  and  sands    -  40 

Plastic  clays    -  -      50 

White  clays                       -  30 

Cemented  gravel  and  clays  -            -                               45 

Clays,  with  silicified  woods  15 

Auriferous  drift  -      30 
Primitive  rocks. 

Total,  2tO  feet. 

Nevada. 

Gravel  drift    -  -      80  feet. 

Blue  and  yellow  clays        -  20  " 

Blue  and  gray  sandy  clays,  with  leaves                         -      30  " 

Gravel  and  light  clays      -  50  " 

Gravel  and  brown  clays  -      10  " 

Sands,  gravel,  and  petrifactions  -                                        8  " 

Auriferous  drift  -      40  " 
Primitive  rocks. 

Total,  238  feet. 

There  is  much  uniformity,  it  appears,  in  the  general  character  of  the  superior 
coverings  of  the  primitive  rocks  in  the  placer  ranges,  and  no  little  coincidence 
in  the  material  which  makes  up  the  great  mass  of  these  beds;  as  much,  at  least, 
as  the  different  sources  from  which  the  detrital  materials  were  derived  would 
permit;  the  modifications  that  may  be  present  in  any  of  the  beds  being  produced 
entirely  from  local  circumstances. 

There  is  one  feature,  however,  that  is  deserving  of  notice,  and  which  is  strongly 
marked  throughout  the  State;  one  of  which  will  enable  us  to  arrive  at  a  much 
better  conclusion  relative  to  the  age  of  these  deposits,  than  any  relations  which 
their  lithological  characters  present;  this  is  the  close  similarity  which  is  manifest 
among  most  of  the  lignites  and  dycotyledonous  leaves  found  in  every  portion  of 
this  part  of  the  State,  as  well  also  as  in  many  parts  of  the  coast  mountains. 
The  beds  that  produce  these  forms  in  the  mining  districts  have  been  placed  in 
the  tables  as  they  occur  in  nature,  and  we  may  thus  see  at  a  glance  theposition 
which  each  of  these  beds  hold  to  each  other. 

The  peculiarities  connected  with  the  distribution  of  these  remains,  leads  to 
the  conclusion,  that  a  great  uniformity  of  climate,  arid  other  conditions,  prevailed 
for  a  long  period  after  the  disturbance  of  the  older  tertiary  slates;  this  is  proved 
from  the  fact,  that  comparatively  little  if  any  disturbance  is  manifest  during  the 
age  in  which  the  drift  beds  were  being  deposited.  Kotwithstanding  these  beds 
are  elevated  considerably  above  the  sea,  they  do,  in  most  cases,  preserve  their 
conformability  with  each  other,  and  are  unconformable  with  the  slates  on  which 
they  at  many  points  rest.  This  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  evidences  of  a 
persistent  elevatory  action  going  on  through  all  the  periods  of  the  latter,  as 
well  as  some  of  the  earlier  portions  of  this  epoch.  It  would  be  a  difficult  task 
for  the  observer  to  define,  with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  the  differences  of  age 
between  the  one  part  of  the  state  and  that  of  any  other,  so  far  as  these  particu 
lar  deposits  are  concerned. 


69 

The  close  similitude  in.  most  of  the  fossil  vegetation  found  in  the  drift  beds, 
would  render  it  difficult  to  define  from  what  portion'  of  the  State  any  one  suite 
of  those  specimens  may  have  been  taken.  I  have  the  impressions  of  leaves  from 
the  counties  of  El  Dorado,  Tuolumne,  and  Trinity,  (the  two  latter  counties 
being  two  hundred  and  seventy -five  miles  distant  from  each  other,)  that  a  close 
observer  would  be  very  likely  to  declare  as  having  all  been  taken  from  the  same 
locality.  These  organic  forms  are  now  in  the  hands  of  gentlemen  fully  compe 
tent  to  define  their  generic  and  specific  characters,  and  whenever  their  investiga 
tions  shall  have  been  completed,  the  same  will  be  placed  before  you. 


PLACER  MINING. 

This  branch  of  industry  in  this  State  has  been  prosecuted  with  much  vigor 
during  the  past  year,  and  many  new  discoveries  of  placer  deposits  have  been 
developed  within  the  past  season.  Those  who  have  engaged  in  the  heavier  opera-  ,. 
tions  of  this  department,  have  carried  their  workings  to  an  extent  heretofore 
unparalleled  in  the  history  of  mining  in  this  State,  the  details  of  which  will  be 
noticed  more  at  length  in  the  following  pages. 

In  the  present  article  I  shall  review,  briefly,  the  history  of  this  branch  of 
industry,  and  adduce  such  testimony  of  their  probable  continuance  as  has  fallen 
under  my  observation,  and  such  as  will  be  found  supported  by  facts  alone. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  abroad  relative  to  the  probable  continuance  of 
the  placer  deposits  of  California,  and  attending  this  discussion,  a  manifest  disposi 
tion  among  Atlantic  writers  to  underrate  the  capacities  of  the  State  for  the  produc 
tion  of  gold.  So  far  as  the  personal  interests  of  such  individuals  are  involved  in 
this  question  we  have  nothing  to  do  ;  but  when  the  publication  of  such  articles  are 
carried  to  an  extent  that  a  public  injury  is  sustained  upon  our  shores  as  a  conse 
quence,  then  it  becomes  a  duty  we  owe  to  ourselves  to  speak  in  defence  of  the 
State  of  our  adoption,  and  place  the  question  before  our  friends  and  relatives 
abroad  upon  that  basis  upon  which  alone  it  can  stand. 

We  shall,  therefore,  confine  ourselves  to  facts,  as  developed  within  the  past  year 
and  the  year  preceding,  which  will  define,  to  some  extent,  the  areas  of  the  placer 
ranges  on  the  western  slope  of  the  mountains  ?  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  may 
prove  sufficient  to  convince  such  as  may  be  seriously  affected  with  melancholy  for 
our  future  fate  in  this  particular,  that  they  are  in  no  danger  of  sinking  deeper  into 
the  slough  of  that  insolvency  which  their  over-heated  imaginations  have  prepared, 
from  any  failure,  on  the  part  of  this  State,  to  produce  even  an  increase  on  her  past 
annual  exports.  The  commercial  circles  of  the  East,  have  been  saved  from  bank 
ruptcy  by  our  exports,  and  we  shall  still  continue  to  exercise  the  same  paternal  % 
care  over  their  interests  as  formerly,  provided  they  will  relieve  us  from  accepting  < 
the  entire  produce  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Since  1849,  we  have  had  but  a 
reiteration,  from  year  to  year,  of  this  doleful  prognostic,  and  this  in  the  face  of  a 
continual  advance  on  each  annual  aggregate  exported  from  our  shores,  until  now 
the  public  mind  has  become  less  sensitive  to  the  dismal  moan,  which  greets  the  eye 
or  ear  from  some  portion  of  the  Atlantic  board  on  the  arrival  of  almost  every 
mail. 

The  failure  of  an  arrival  of  the  accustomed  number  of  millions  per  month  to  the 
Atlantic  cities,  is  found  to  create  a  feverish  panic  among  our  distant  friends,  which 
is  to  be  regretted,  as  an  injustice  to  the  people  of  this  State,  usually  follows  such  a  v 
contingency,  from  some  portion  of  the  Atlantic  board.     This  arises  from  the  fact    ( 
that  parties  abroad  do  not  possess  the  local  information  of  those  causes  which  are    ' 
productive  of  such  a  failure,  neither  could  they  properly  appreciate  the  same,  were 
it  in  their  possession. 


70 

The  only  regret  to  which  we  must  submit  in  this  matter  is  that,  as  a  State,  we 
have  exported  too  much  ;  but  the  prospect  is  that  in  the  future  we  shall  export 
much  less  gold  than  formerly.  The  report  of  the  Controller  of  State  for  this  year 
shadows  forth  the  long  wished  for  advent  of  confidence  in  capital  investments  for 
home  improvements,  and  is  a  true  exhibit  of  our  resources ;  showing  that,  not 
withstanding  we  have  an  increase  of  one  million  above  our  exports  of  the  pre 
ceding  year,  yet  we  still  have  added  to  our  home  capital,  permanently  invested, 
fourteen  millions,  within  the  same  period. 

In  my  report  of  last  year,  it  was  stated  that  the  placer  ranges  were  at  that  time 
known  to  extend  nearly  to  the  summit  ridge  of  the  mountains  ;  but  this  year  it  has 
been  ascertained  that  they  pass  beyond  the  ridge,  and  are  now  fonud  on  the 
eastern  declivity,  having  nearly  the  same  altitude  as  those  occurring  on  the  opposite 
side.  Within  the  past  season,  many  of  these  deposits  have  been  examined,  and 
thus  far  are  found  to  be  equally  productive  with  those  of  similar  ranges  to  the  wast, 
and,  with  a  favorable  season  ensuing,  they  will  be  largely  occupied. 

This  increases  the  breadth  of  the  placers,  in  the  more  elevated  districts,  about 
nine  miles,  and  the  length  between  twenty-five  and  twenty-seven  miles,  on  a  line 
parallel  with  the  trend  of  the  mountains.  This  additional  field  is  what  may  be 
denominated  "dry  diggings."  Still  they  will  prove  available  only  during  the 
summer  season  and  early  part  of  autumn,  from  their  altitude  and  local  position. 

Since  my  last  report,  I  have  been  enabled  to  trace  the  "  Eastern  Blue  Range," 
for  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  south  of  the  point  at  which  it  was  left  last  year,  and, 
as  far  as  examined,  it  possesses  most  of  the  general  characters  that  were  mentioned 
in  relation  to  this  district  at  that  time.  Its  line  may  be  defined  to  a  considerable 
degree  of  accuracy  by  the  following  localities  : 

South  of  the  middle  branch  of  the  American  River,  it  is  found  at  what  is  known 
as  Cement  Hill,  being  part  of  the  same  range  of  the  Mameluke  Hill,  a  short  dis 
tance  south  of  the  former.  Extending  in  a  southerly  direction  from  the  vicinity  of 
Georgetown,  it  is  next  met  with  at  White  Rock,  some  sixteen  miles  distant,  and 
about  three  miles  east  of  Placerville.  In  this  section  of  country,  the  outliers  of 
the  range  are  distinctly  seen,  forming  level  ridges  for  long  distances,  the  latter 
surrounding  small  basins  or  forming  the  flanks  of  broad  ravines,  similar  to  that 
known  as  Coon  Hollow,  and  other  adjacent  localities.  From  Placerville  it  extends 
in  a  southerly  course  for  eight  miles,  and  it  is  again  met  with  some  three  miles 
east  of  the  town  of  Ringold,  forming  a  flat  table,  of  small  extent,  on  the  side  of  a 
hill  facing  to  the  southwest.  From  this  locality  it  assumes  a  more  southeast 
course,  and  is  again  seen  on  the  sides  of  the  hills  forming  the  banks  of  Indian 
Creek,  in  the  county  of  El  Dorados  This  is  the  most  southern  limit  to  which  these 
placers  have  been  traced  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

A  course  a  little  east  of  south  would  bring  this  line  of  deposits  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  town  of  Volcano,  in  the  County  of  Amador,  but  it  is  yet  quite  uncertain 
whether  this  mining  town  is  absolutely  upon  this  range  of  placers,  or  whether  it 
passes  to  the  east  of  the  high  ridge  back  of  this  locality.  From  what  observa 
tions  I  was  enabled  to  make  at  Mokelumne  Hill,  and  also  south  of  this  point,  I 
am  inclined  to  the  belief  that  if  it  passes  through  this  section  of  the  State  it 
will  ba  found  to  the  east  of  these  latter  towns,  at  distances  within  eight  or 
twelve  miles.  The  high  table  ridge  to  the  east  of  Chilian  Gulch  possesses  many 
of  the  external  features  which  mark  this  range  in  other  parts  of  the  State;  but 
the  conglomerate  beds  found  adjacent  to  this  section  indicate  this  to  be  of  much 
more  recent  origin  than  the  placers  under  consideration.  The  absence  of  any 
fossil  remains  from  this  district  renders  it  difficult  to  form  any  conclusion  that 
would  be  satisfactory  on  this  point;  it  will  therefore  be  omitted  until  such 
times  as  farther  investigation  may  be  had  upon  this  immediate  vicinity. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  more  particular  consideration  of  the  placer,  as  far  as 
known,  and  examine  its  capacities  for  production,  with  other  characteristics  that 
mark  it  in  its  course. 


71 

The  line  of  the  deposit  has  now  been  traced  distinctly  for  a  distance  of  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty-six  miles,  in  an  almost  continuous  line,  and  upon  it  are  now 
located  many  of  the  most  valuable  mining  districts  of  the  State,  on  which  the 
heavier  investments  of  capital  have  been  made  for  its  successful  workings. 
From  the  nature  of  the  ground  and  its  location,  being  very  remote  from  the 
plains,  and  in  many  cases  difficult  of  access  from  its  elevation  even  above  the 
adjacent  country,  it  necessarily  has  required  a  much  greater  outlay  of  capital  to 
develop  its  treasures  than  any  of  the  districts  lying  to  the  west  of  it  and  im 
proved  as  mining  ground,  and  thus  far  has  yielded  a  proportionably  greater 
amount  of  gold. 

So  far  as  these  districts  have  been  opened,  they  have  fully  sustained  the  char 
acter  which  they  have  heretofore  acquired,  and  particularly  noticed  in  the  pre 
ceding  report,  viz  :  that  in  no  instance,  up  to  the  present  time,  has  this  placer  failed 
to  reimburse  the  money  expended  in  opening  the  ground,  reaching  the  lead  and 
returning  a  handsome  profit  to  the  adventurer.  This  cannot  be  said  of  any  other 
range  of  placers  in  this  State. 

Up  to  the  month  of  November  last,  there  had  not  been  an  abandoned  claim 
upon  the  range  where  the  works  had  been  conducted  with  the  view  of  reaching 
the  lower  lodes  of  the  range,  and  no  failure  has  occurred  in  striking  the  lode  where 
the  adits  have  been  driven  at  any  sufficiently  low  point. 

From  these  facts  alone,  it  will  be  seen  that  placer  mining  is  not  altogether  a 
game  of  chance  when  conducted  with  skill,  well-directed  and  practical  judgment, 
and  it  teaches,  also,  another  valuable  lesson,  which  is,  that  segregated  labor  and 
capital  is  not  sufficient  to  cope  with  the  heavier  branches  of  placer  mining, 
neither  is  it  as  profitable  in  its  results  as  when  otherwise  and  judiciously  directed. 
This  branch  of  industry  in  this  State  has  taken  that  place  at  the  present  time, 
which  strictly  entitles  it  to  the  appellation  of  a  science,  and  he  that  would  fully 
appreciate  it  should  witness  it.  Placer  mining  to  California  is  what  coal  mining 
is  to  Pennsylvania,  and  the  great  coal  districts  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  we  are  fast  approximating  that  day  when  its  subterranean  operations  will 
equal,  and  in  many  instances  exceed  the  latter.  Should  there  be  those  who  foster 
doubt  on  this  point,  and  doubtless  there  are  many  such  abroad,  I  would  respect 
fully  suggest  to  such  a  visit  to  the  upper  portions  of  the  counties  of  Placer  and 
El  Dorado,  with  those  of  Amador  and  Calaveras  on  the  south,  and  those  ^of 
Nevada  and  Sierra  on  the  north.  In  these  counties  they  will  find  an  ample 
field  of  operations,  on  which  they  will  find  but  little  difficulty  in  forming  an 
opinion  of  the  character  and  extent  of  the  workings  beneath  the  surface  and 
the  means  employed  to  consummate  the  end.  They  will  find  the  engineer  with 
his  levels  as  carefully  adjusted  and  applied  as  though  his  survey  was  instituted 
for  the  leveling  of  a  rail  track,  and  the  necessities  of  accuracy  in  the  selection 
of  the  most  feasible  point  to  tap  the  heart  of  the  mountain  is  equally  as  great 
in  the  one  case  as  in  the  other. 

The  placer  miner  of  the  present  day  in  this  section  of  the  State,  estimates  the 
costs  of  the  operation  on  which  he  is  about  to  enter  with  all  that  care  and  attention 
that  would  be  bestowed  upon  any  other  enterprise  where  the  sura  of  ten  to  thirty 
thousand  dollars  is  the  sum  to  be  invested,  and  where  his  interests  are  involved  to 
that  extent.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  amounts  equal  to  the  above,  invested  in 
our  larger  operations  now  in  progress  of  working,  and  a  few  instances  among  many, 
may  serve  to  illustrate  the  fact.  I  will  mention  but  two  or  three  in  connection 
with  this  part  of  our  subject. 

The  cost  of  opening  the  Mameluke  Hill,  near  Georgetown,  by  the  parties  inter 
ested,  exceeded  forty  thousand  dollars,  while  the  receipts  from  the  same  during  the 
period  of  little  more  than  one  year,  has  exceeded  five  hundred  thousand. 
Another  case  is  that  of  Jones's  Hill,  the  opening  of  which  has  already  risen  above 
thirty-four  thousand  dollars,  the  receipts  being  above  two  hundred  and  eighty-four 


72 

thousand  dollars ;  and  still  another  in  the  County  of  Nevada,  (Laird's  Hill)  the 
expense  of  opening  was  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars,  while  the  receipts  from  the 
latter  in  June  last,  had  reached  the  sutn  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand — the 
resources  of  either  are  as  yet  in  any  thing  but  an  exhausted  condition  The 
above  are  mentioned  only  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  a  better  idea  of  the  ex 
penses  and  profits  of  what  is  denominated  deep  mining,  in  this  State,  and  the 
localities  named  form  but  a  small  proportion  to  the  aggregate  of  similar 
workings. 

In  the  counties  of  Nevada,  Sierra,  Placer,  El  Dorado,  Amador  and  Calaveras, 
there  are  scores  of  adits  and  other  workings  of  smaller  dimensions,  which  have 
already  cost  sums  varying  in  amount  from  ten  thousand  dollars  upward  to  the 
figures  given  above,  and  from  which  proportional  profits  have  been  derived.  The 
mining  districts  abound  with  evidences  of  wealth  like  those  above,  and  they  possess 
equally  as  strong  evidences  ot  permanency  of  chatacter,  and  it  would  be  no  difficult 
matter  for  the  incredulous  to  banish  his  incredulity,  if  he  will  but  take  the  trouble 
to  investigate  the  facts  which  nature  and  individual  enterprize  have  placed  before 
him. 

An  idea  of  the  necessary  expenses  that  must  be  incurred  in  conducting  these 
branches  of  placer  mining,  can  be  obtained  only  by  an  examination  of  the  adits 
which  have  been  driven  in  prosecuting  these  labors.  There  are  but  few  which  are 
less  than  three  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  many  that  range  from  ten  to  twelve 
hundred  feet,  and  of  a  size  sufficient  to  use  a  horse  within  for  the  purpose  of  de 
livering  the  earth  to  be  washed  at  the  sluice  or  the  attle  to  the  end  of  the  tram- 
road.  These  adits  are  driven  in  some  cases  hundreds  of  feet  through  solid  rocks, 
and  when-  thus  conducted  they  often  penetrate  the  very  centre  of  a  mountain, 
or  as  in  the  case  of  the  high  ridge  south  of  Placervilb,  they  have  not  only  reached 
the  center,  but  have  passed  entirely  through  the  ridge. 

In  other  parts  of  the  State,  the  heavier  placer  operations  are  conducted  in  a 
different  manner.  In  place  of  the  adit,  a  broad  ditch  is  carried  through  the 
hill,  and  the  entire  hills  removed  to  their  base  by  hydraulic  washings.  This 
system  of  working,  as  conducted  in  this  State  at  present,  will  compare  very 
favorably  in  magnitude  with  any  system  of  mining  operations  of  the  Atlantic 
States,  or  even  in  many  parts  of  the  older  continent,  and  from  the  success  which 
has  thus  far  attended  it,  it  bids  fair  to  advance  much  beyond  the  limits  to  which 
it  is  now  confined.  Five  years  have  elapsed  since  the  mines  of  this  State  were 
worked  to  any  considerable  extent.  The  area  that  is  now  known  to  contain 
valuable  deposits  of  gold,  is  believed  to  be  at  least  six  times  greater  than  that 
which  was  developed  during  the  years  of  1848  and  1849,  while  the  number  of 
miners  actually  engaged  in  the  extraction  of  gold  is  less  than  those  of  1852,  yet 
the  export  of  the  year  last  past  exceeds  by  nine  millions  the  total  exports  of 
the  former  year.  Under  these  circumstances,  it  is  rather  a  forced  conclusion 
to  arrive  at,  that  the  mines  of  the  State  are  in  any  way  likely  to  recede  from 
their  former  productions  ;  and  we  would  suggest  to  our  friends  abroad,  that  it 
is  time  they  had  divested  themselves  of  the  idea  too  long  prevalent,  that  our 
placers  will  soon  become  exhausted,  or  that  the  workings  consist  in  mere  surface 
scratching,  without  depth  or  probable  continuance.  We  have*  evidences  that 
should  prove  satisfactory  to  reasonable  beings,  that  they  are  something  more 
than  an  ephemeral  show,  as  all  known  facts  in  this  State  are  opposed  to  that 
position,  and  they  are  abundant  for  two  hundred  miles  of  the  length  of  the 
eastern  mountain  chain. 

In  order  to  convey  a  better  idea  of  the  mining  districts  they  will  be  divided 
into  three  distinct  ranges,  denominated  the  Upper  or  Eastern  Range,  the  Mid 
dle  Placers,  and  the,  Valley  Mines.  This  has  now  become  necessary  from  the 
fact  that  the  characteristics  of  these  districts  are  as  distinctly  marked  as  are  the 


73 


northern,  middle,  and  southern  portions  of  the  State.  It  separates  also  three 
evidently  distinct  periods  of  the  geological  history  of  this  part  of  the  continent, 
in  which  marked  changes  are  apparent  upon  the  surfaces  that  had  emerged  above 
the  ocean  during  that  epoch. 


EASTERN  RANGE. 

This  district  extends  from  near  the  summit  ridge  of  the  mountains  to  within 
about  twenty-five  miles  of  the  edge  of  the  plains.  It  maintains  a  very  uniform 
breadth  of  about  twenty  miles,  and  a  length  of  one  hundred  and  thirty,  as  far 
as  known.  It  covers  an  area  equal  to  about  three  thousand  square  miles,  a 
large  proportion  of  which  is  available  as  mining  grounds. 

In  this  district  is  situated  the  major  part  of  what  is  known  as  the  "  dry  dig 
gings  "  which  includes  the  towns  of  Forest  City  on  the  north  and  Placerville  on 
the  south.  At  the  present  time  there  is  but  a  comparatively  small  portion  of 
this  district  occupied  and  improved.  Admitting,  that  of  the  area  included  with 
in  the  lines  of  this  district,  but  one-third  of  the  same  may  be  considered  as  con 
taining  placer  deposits,  we  shall  have  for  the  immediately  available  purposes  of 
mining  an  area  equal  to  one  thousand  square  miles. 

A  glance  at  the  entire  area  which  is  now  in  actual  occupancy  on  this  range, 
and  employed  as  mines  in  active  operation,  will  convince  those  acquainted  with 
the  district  that  but  a  very  small  fraction  of  the  available  territory  is  as  yet 
opened  or  in  any  manner  improved.  It  is  estimated  that  twenty  square  miles 
will  cover  that  au.ea  and  even  this  may  be  considered  a  large  figure  for  the  grounds 
so  improved  ;  amounting  to  two  per  cent,  only,  of  the  lowest  aggregate  that 
can  be  placed  upon  the  unoccupied  district  of  the  range.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
there  are  men  enough  in  this  State  (aside  from  those  req'uired  for  the  transac 
tion  of  other  departments  of  business,)  to  occupy  and  improve  even  one  half  of 
the  available  mining  lands  that  lie  in  the  four  middle  mining  counties  of  the 
State  which  at  the  present  time  is  untouched,  for  it  is  pretty  well  ascertained 
that  the  absolute  amount  of  ground  in  fourteen  of  the  mining  counties,  now  un 
der  improvement  for  those  purposes,  does  not  exceed  five  hundred  square  miles. 
The  amount  of  territory  in  each  county  which  is  unoccupied  forms  a  heavy  ag 
gregate  against  the  other. 

Of  the  eastern  range  of  placers  there  are  wide  districts  intervening  between 
the  settlements  on  the  range,  and  an  approximate  idea  may  be  obtained,  of  the 
extent  of  these  placers,  by  citing  districts  that  are  well  known,  which  will  con 
vey  at  the  same  time  a  better  conception  of  the  proportions  occupied  and  the 
reverse. 

The  counties  of  Placer  and  El  Dorado  are  fair  examples  of  this  district;  they 
lie  adjoining  each  other  and  are  situated  nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  State,  and 
of  the  range.  The  deep  workings  of  the  above  counties  extend  north  and  south 
for  a  distance  (air  line,)  of  thirty-three  miles,  the  north  fork  of  the  American 
being  one  boundary,  and  the  mountains  and  its  tributaries  being  the  other  on 
the  south  ;  the  breadth  included  in  the  above  line  and  extending  east  and  west 
is  about  fourteen  miles.  The  mining  towns  within  this  district  are  Iowa  Hill, 
Michigan  Bluffs,  Georgetown,  Spanish  Flat,  Placerville,  and  other  smaller  set 
tlements  situated  between  the  above  and  to  the  east  of  the  line  as  given. 

The  area  of  the  eastern  range  in  these  comities  alone,  amounts  to  four  hun 
dred  and  sixty-two  miles,  nearly  one  half  of  the  aggregate  amount  for  the  State 
as  belonging  to  this  particular  range  of  deposits  ;  and  when  we  recollect  that 

10 


74 

there  are  four  additional  counties  through  which  their  placers  are  found,  the 
estimate  of  one  thousand  square  miles  will  not  be  considered  as  excessive. 

To  those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  section  alluded  to,  I  have  no  hesitancy 
of  submitting  the  above  figures,  tor  there  is  no  object  to  be  attained  in  present 
ing  a  fancy  sketch  of  our  available  resources.  We  may  draw  upon  facts  for 
many  years  to  come  in  regard  to  matters  of  this  character,  for  the  mining  dis 
tricts  are  possessed  of  an  ample  fund  for  that  purpose. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  the  "  deep  diggings  "  of  this  district  are  the 
only  resources  obtainable,  or  that  they  constitute  the  only  deposits  of  gold  in 
the  range,  for  it  is  far  otherwise.  The  entire  surfaces  of  this  range  are  produc 
tive  of  this  metal;  it  was  from  the  surface  washings  of  portions  belonging  to 
this  district  of  the  State  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  gold  was  obtained  dur 
ing  the  earlier  periods  of  mining.  These  placers  still  continue  to  yield  profitable 
returns  for  labor,  though  long  since  they  were  among  the  old  workings  which 
were  considerrd  exhausted.  The  returns  from  these  old  placers  at  the  present 
time  are  attributable  to  the  improved  methods  of  mining  that  have  been  intro 
duced  subsequent  to  their  first  becoming  abandoned,  and  the  greater  care  which 
is  now  bestowed  in  washing  the  earth. 

The  placer  miner  of  the  present  day  will  not  exhaust  the  same  quantity  of 
ground  that  he  would  have  done  in  1850  or  1851,  and  at  the  same  time  obtain 
an  equal  and,  in  some  instances,  a  greater  amount  of  gold  from  one  of  these  ex 
hausted  placers.  We  may,  therefore,  regard  the  surface  deposits  of  these  sec 
tions  as  prolific  sources  of  wealth  for  years  to  come.  This  conclusion  is  based 
on  the  facts  which  past  experiment  has  demonstrated,  and  which  are  acknowl 
edged  throughout  the  State  by  those  who  have  given  any  attention  to  the  sub 
ject. 

In  selecting  the  Counties  of  Placer  and  El  Dorado  as  illustrative  of  the  char 
acter  of  the  eastern  range  of  deposits,  I  would  not  be  understood  as  expressing 
any  preferences,  of  productive  capacity  or  of  a  better  defined  range  of  these 
deposits;  they  were  selected  from  the  fact  that  they  held  a  more  central  position 
in  relation  to  the  above  than  for  any  other  purpose,  and  they  do  not,  to  my 
knowledge,  afford  any  better  illustration  of  the  characteristics  of  this  district, 
than  the  Counties  of  Sierra,  on  the  North,  or  that  of  Amador  or  Calaveras  on 
the  South;  in  fact,  this  range  is  much  better  exemplified  in  the  County  of  Sierra 
than  at  any  point  south  of  the  latter. 


MIDDLE   PLACERS. 

By  this  term  is  expressed  that  range  of  country  which  is  situated  at  an  aver 
age  distance  of  about  twenty  miles  from  the  line  of  the  higher  foothills,  or  hav 
ing  its  western  border  within  about  lour  miles  of  the  edge  of  the  plains,  compris 
ing  a  district  of  country  of  twenty  miles  in  width  and  three  hundred  in  length, 
having  a  trend  parallel  with  that  of  the  mountain  chain  in  which  it  is  situated; 
it  covers  an  area  equal  to  about  six  thousand  square  miles. 

On  this  range  is  situated  what  is  denominated  the  surface  workings,  although 
there  are  some  instances  in  which  the  deposits  of  drift  containing  gold  lie  nearly 
as  deep  as  those  alluded  to  in  the  preceding  article.  This,  however,  is  not  the 
general  fact  relative  to  these  districts,  and  the  labor  and  expense  of  extracting 
the  metal,  consequently,  is  not  as  heavy.  The  ordinary  depth  of  the  placer 
drift  in  this  district,  ranges  between  twelve  and  forty  feet ;  it  is  composed  of  a 
more  heterogeuous  collection  of  stones  than  the  deposits  of  the  higher  range ;  in 
the  latter  the  pebbles  and  boulders  have  but  few  varieties,  while  those  of  the 


75 

middle  placers  are  composed  of  many;  so  much  so  is  this  the  case,  that  it  is 
often  difficult  to  distinguish  what  rocks  predominate. 

The  "  bed  rock"  of  these  districts  is  composed  mostly  of  slates  elevated  to  high 
angles  of  inclination,  or  the  same  rocks  changed  by  heat,  in  some  cases  to  that  ex 
tent  as  nearly  to  obliterate  their  former  structure  ;  their  transition  has  been  so 
complete  that  they  have  assumed  the  character  of  true  porphyries  ;  this  must  have 
occurred  prior  to  the  deposition  of  the  drift  as  these  deposits  bear  no  marks  of  ig 
neous  action  since  they  were  deposited.  In  some  localities  the  drift  beds  are  found 
resting  upon  the  granite  direct,  the  latter  rock  often  presenting  evident  marks  of 
the  action  of  water. 

In  examining  the  gravel  from  this  district,  we  will  often  find  the  stones  which 
are  peculiar  to  the  eastern  range  mingled  with  those  of  more  recent  date,  and  which 
are  often  found  in  closer  proximity  in  situ  ;  with  the  above  is  also  found  more  or 
less  of  the  smaller  gold  of  the  upper  districts  commingled  with  that  which  is  inci 
dent  to  the  middle  sections  of  the  State. 

These  facts  naturally  lead  us  to  the  conclusion  that  at  the  period  in  which  the 
gravel  drift  of  the  middle  placers  were  deposited  that  the  country  to  the  east  was 
subjected  to  the  action  of  floods  which  must  have  been  somewhat  violent  in  their 
character.  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  at  this  time,  that  the  deposits  of  this  district 
of  the  State,  were  formed  during  the  period  of  the  NORTHERN  DRIFT,  for  there  are 
some  features  wanting  to  establish  that  point  conclusively.  Should  the  above  fact 
be  ultimately  established,  there  are  attendant  circumstances  that  will  prove  the 
eastern  range  to  have  preceded  that  period,  and  which  has  been  alluded  to  in 
former  reports. 

The  economical  value  and  extent  of  the  middle  placers,  is  the  principal  object  of 
their  notice  in  this  place,  and  we  will  therefore  direct  our  attention  to  that  particu 
lar  point.  It  is  upon  this  range  of  country  that  the  g  eater  proportion  of  the  mi 
ning  community  of  the  State  are  located,  and  more  particularly  upon  the  central 
and  eastern  portions  of  the  same.  The  cause  of  this  is  oovious,  for  from  the  nature 
of  the  ground  to  be  operated  upon,  segregated  labor  is  more  prosperous,  and  small 
companies  with  limited  means  can  prosecute  mining  with  better  success  and  profit 
than  in  the  heavier  workings  of  the  eastern  range  of  placers.  The  labor  and  inci 
dental  expenses  for  facilities  in  the  extraction  of  gold,  are  much  less  and  more  ea 
sily  obtained  as  a  general  rule  than  in  the  former  case  ;  hence  men  who  are  pos 
sessed  of  limited  means  usually  occupy  the  middle  sections  before  entering  the  field 
of  the  more  lengthy  operations  that  are  conducted  in  other  districts. 

This  district  of  the  State  is  but  sparsely  settled,  at  the  best ;  and  like  many  other 
portions  of  the  mineral  and  agricultural  sections,  there  is  but  here  and  there  a  few 
scattering  cabins  or  small  settlements,  often  for  many  miles.  The  placers  that  are 
spread  far  and  wide  throughout  this  section,  are  scarcely  touched,  or  if  so,  they  are 
marked  by  a  few  small  shafts  only,  which  have  been  sunk  by  some  prospecting  mi 
ners,  in  their  rambles  over  the  State  in  search  for  richer  fields  than  those  they  left. 
It  is  often  the  case  that  these  shafts  have  remained  for  two  or  three  years  after  they 
were  driven,  when  they  have  again  become  occupied  by  others,  yielding  profitable 
returns  for  small  amounts  of  labor.  It  is  from  these  very  partial  examinations  of 
traveling  miners  made  in  preceding  years,  that  some  of  the  most  valuable  placer 
deposits  have  been  developed  ;  the  hints  thus  given  in  the  former  case  have  been 
adopted  by  those  who  have  subsequently  followed,  and  have  thus  led  to  pleasing 
results. 

The  introduction  of  water  by  artificial  canals  into  regions  lying  remote  from  nat 
ural  streams  has  had  the  effect  to  develop  further  the  fact,  that  but  limited  sections 
exist  in  this  district  in  which  the  staple  product  of  the  State  does  not  abound. 
From  the  above  facts  we  should  be  led  to  infer  that  a  much  larger  population  than 
that  at  present  found  in  these  districts  should  follow  under  the  circumstances  :  it 
should  be  thus,  but  there  are  causes  which  at  present  operate  to  prevent  such  a  re- 


76 

suit,  the  principal  of  which,  is  the  want  of  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  to  conduct 
mining  operations  to  that  extent  which  the  character  of  the  country  require.  The 
natural  supply  of  this  material  seldom  exceeds  four  months  of  the  year,  in  amounts 
that  would  be  equivalent  to  subserve  the  above  purposes,  in  the  greater  proportion 
of  the  mining  localities  of  this  range,  and  this  too  at  that  season  when  labor  is 
nearly  suspended  from  inclemency  of  the  weather.  In  order  therefore  that  an  ex 
tensive  population  should  be  found  upon  the  unoccupied  portions  of  this  part  of  the 
mineral  district,  the  introduction  of  water  by  artificial  means  becomes  an  essential 
requisite. 

An  increase  of  our  mining  population  in  any  district  of  the  State,  hax  no  ten 
dency  whatever  to  excite  any  fear  of  the  exhaustion  of  the  mines  of  that  local 
ity  to  which  they  may  chance  to  wend  their  way;  for  it  is  now  admitted  that 
sufficient  room  for  labor  abounds  in  any  of  the  mining  settlements,  for  a  much 
greater  number  than  those  who  now  occupy  them.  The  introduction  of  water 
by  canals  through  an  unoccupied  portion  of  the  State,  is  as  certain  to  bring  in 
an  active  population  along  its  line,  as  the  fact  that  such  an  agent  is  known  to 
exist,  as  it  is  well  known  that  nearly  the  entire  surface  contains  a  sufficiency  to 
largely  pay  for  labor  in  its  extraction. 

So  far  as  the  middle  placers  have  been  opened,  they  have  thus  far  proved 
productive  to  an  eminent  degree,  and  the  new  placers  which  had  been  developed 
within  this  range  have,  as  far  as  known,  proved  fully  equivalent  to  those  which 
have  preceded  them,  and  there  is  no  good  reason  that  can  be  advanced  for  the 
untenable  position  that  has  been  assumed,  that  the  present  theatre  of  operations 
is  the  finale,  any  more  than  for  a  similar  opinion  which  was  entertained  four 
years  since  in  relation  to  those  localities  at  that  time  occupied,  and  which  are 
still  yielding  their  annual  quota  nearly  the  same  as  before. 


YALLEY  MINING. 

We  come  now  to  the  consideration  of  the  lower  and  most  western  districts  in 
which  deposits  of  gold  have  been  found,  and  which  constitute  the  third  and  last 
in  the  order  of  arrangement. 

The  valley  mines  are  those  districts  which  are  situated  among  the  lower  foot 
hills  of  the  mountains,  and  extend  westward  from  thence  into  the  eastern  edge 
of  the  plains  of  the  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento  to  the  extent  of  three 
to  five  miles.  These  mines  are  distinctly  traceable  from  Chico  Creek  in  the 
County  of  Butte  on  the  north,  nearly  to  Snelling's  ranch  on  the  Merced  River 
to  the  south,  having  a  linear  distance  of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
The  position  which  they  maintain,  or  whether  they  exist  at  any  point  north  of 
the  first  named  boundary,  and  south  of  Fort  Reading  on  Cow  Creek,  in  the 
County  of  Shasta,  I  am  at  present  unable  to  state,  not  having  passed  over 
that  particular  district  during  the  past  season.  But  the  opinion  may  be  safely 
entertained,  that  they  are  continued  through  the  latter  district,  and  that  the 
placers  of  the  Upper  Sacramento  Yalley  alluded  to  in  the  preceding  pages  of 
this  report  are  but  the  northern  termini  ot  this  belt.  The  valley  mines  are 
situated  on  what  has  been  spoken  of  as  constituting  the  higher  terraces  of  the 
plains,  and  are  composed  of  alluvial  drift  mostly,  which  have  been  derived  from 
the  lower  hills  adjacent  to  their  borders.  The  gravel  of  the  lower  beds  is  usually 
small  and  composed  of  the  pebbles  found  in  the  conglomerates  commingled 
with  the  smaller  stones  which  have  been  conveyed  by  the  agency  of  water  from 
the  approximate  portions  of  the  middle  districts.  The  gravel  is  usually  much 
discolored  by  the  ferruginous  materials  with  which  they  are  intimately  commin- 


77 

gled,  and  all  the  beds  containing  gold,  from  the  surface  to  their  greatest  depth 
partake  in  a  high  degree  of  the  same  peculiar  characteristic.  The  deposits  are 
found  to  extend  to  depths  varying  from  three  to  eight  feet,  and  rests  on  sand 
stone,  slates  or  clay  beds  above  the  latter,  and  are  the  most  shallow  of  any  of 
the  placer  ranges  as  yet  discovered  in  the  State,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most 
easily  worked.  In  my  report  of  1853,  the  attention  ot  the  Legislature  was 
directed  to  the  peculiarities  of  this  district  of  the  country  under  the  head  of 
mineral  resources,  and  which  will  be  found  on  pages  21  and  22,  of  Assmbly, 
Doc.,  session  1853.  I  recur  to  this  subject  again  at  the  present  time, 
trusting  that  this  district  may  attract  that  attention  to  which  it  is  entitled,  hoping 
that  some  measure  may  be  adopted  that  will  have  the  eifect  of  preventing  those 
collisions  which  must  ultimately  ensue  between  the  agriculturists  and  miners  in 
regard  to  the  occupancy  of  the  lands. 

It  is  incumbent  upon  me  to  define,  as  nearly  as  possible,  the  probable  extent  and 
local  position,  both  of  the  agricultural  and  mineral  lands,  so  far  as  the  same  comes 
within  my  knowledge ;  and  for  this  purpose,  this  subject  is  again  introduced,  so  that 
in  sectionizing,  hereafter,  these  districts  may  be  distinctly  marked,  and  their  bound 
aries  thus  known. 

It  has  been  generally  supposed  that  the  entire  valley  lands  skirting  the  foot-hills, 
possessed  but  limited  amounts  of  the  precious  metals,  and  that  when  such  lands 
containing  gold  were  thus  known,  the  deposits  have  been  regarded  as  purely  acci 
dental.  Such  is  not  the  case,  however,  and  if  it  were,  the  same  rule  would  be 
equally  applicable  to  every  other  portion  of  the  mining  districts  of  the  State.  Since 
the  days  when  that  opinion  prevailed,  there  have  been  circumstances  occurring,  at 
different  times,  respecting  the  true  characteristics  of  these  lauds,  which  have  had  a 
tendencv  to  modify  the  views  then  entertained  respecting  them,  to  that  extent  that 
those  views  have  now  become  entirely  obsolete,  and  the  valley  mines  are  now 
considered  nearly  co-extensive  with  the  middle  or  upper  districts,  and  they 
probably  fall  but  little  short  of  the  latter. 

So  well  defined  is  the  mineral  district  of  the  plains,  that,  at  the  present  time, 
there  are  not  less  than  eight  water  companies  who  have  extended  their  works  to  the 
foot-hills,  and  three  of  this  number  were  distributing  water  four  miles  beyond  the 
hills,  into  the  plains,  during  the  month  of  December  last.  In  the  central  and  more 
northern  portions  of  this  range,  the  extension  of  these  canals  is  being  prosecuted  as 
fast  as  the  nature  of  attending  circumstances  will  permit,  and  from  what  is  now  in 
process  of  being  completed  beyond  the  line  of  the  lower  mountains,  there  will  not  be 
less  than  twenty-three  of  these  canals  discharging- water  on  to  the  surface  of  the  valley 
within  the  current  year.  In  seven  of  the  principal  mining  counties  of  the  State,  there 
are  one  hundred  and  nine  companies  engaged  in  the  conveyance  of  water  for  mining 
purposes,  and  with  this  amount,  even,  there  is  not  sufficient  to  supply  the  demand. 
"We  may  therefore  conclude  that  the  small  quantity  which  twenty-three  flumes  will 
convey  to  the  valley  mines  will  not  probably  amount  to  over  eighteen  per  cent,  of 
that  which  will  be  requisite  for  their  operations. 

Should  an  ample  supply  of  water  be  furnished  to  open  this  entire  range  of 
placers,  we  have  not  a  population  sufficient  to  occupy  and  improve  it,  aside  from 
those  engaged  in  similar  occupations  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  A  large  propor 
tion  of  these  mines  will,  therefore,  remain  untouched  for  many  years  to  come,  and 
improved  only  in  isolated  portions,  where  the  conveniences  of  water  are  easily 
obtained. 

Most  of  those  who  are  at  present  engaged  in  this  district,  are  men  who  have  for 
merly  occupied  themselves  in  the  older  and  mountain  districts  sirce  1850,  and  are, 
therefore,  capable  of  judging  of  the  comparative  value  of  a  placer  of  this  kind,  with 
those  of  other  sections.  Their  experimental  knowledge  is,  therefore,  of  some  value, 
as  a  criterion,  to  judge  of  the  prospects  of  these  mines,  as  being  remunerative  for 
labor,  if  no  other  more  conclusive  considerations  presented  themselves. 


78 

We  will  not  stand  upon  the  basis  of  individual  opinions  alone,  in  this  matter, 
but  will  present  an  outline  of  the  settlements  upon  this  range  of  country.  They 
will  present  the  best  argument  of  the  capacities,  progress  and  development  of  the 
mines,  Jrom  the  date  of  their  discovery  to  the  present  time,  and  the  character  of 
these  valley  sections. 

The  localities  situated  along  the  line  of  these  mines  are  well  known  in  the  State, 
and  as  a  consequence,  their  comparative  products  will  be  easily  estimated  by  those 
who  have  even  but  a  slight  acquaintance  with  the  mineral  products  of  the  country. 

Commencing  in  the  county  of  Butte,  the  first  mining  locality  is  on  what  is 
known  as  Neal's  Flat;  following  a  southerly  direction  to  Butte  Creek,  they  are 
again  found  at  Kieh  and  Reeve's  Bars,  on  that  stream,  and  a  few  miles  further 
south  the  mines  are  occupied  in  and  about  the  vicinity  of  Spring  Valley,  and 
thence  to  the  banks  of  the  main  Feather  River  ;  crossing  this  stream  they  again 
occur  in  the  vicinity  of  Iowa  Ranch,  nine  miles  southwest  of  the  town  of  Bidwell. 
Following  the  line  of  the  foot  hills  to  the  Honcut  Creek,  miners  are  engaged  on 
both  sides  of  this  stream,  and  but  twelve  miles  distant  from  the  town  of  Veazie. 

From  the  Honcut  south,  the  next  placers  which  are  improved,  are  those  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Yuba,  in  the  vicinity  of  Ousley's  Bar,  being  but  fourteen  miles  east 
of  Marysville.  There  are  two  mining  camps  near  the  edge  of  the  plains  between 
the  south  banks  of  the  Yuba,  before  reaching  Camp  Far  West,  on  Bear  River, 
which  is  the  next  locality  of  any  note.  From  this  place  to  the  American  River, 
there  are  four  localities  in  which  these  mines  have  peen  opened,  and  which  run 
west  of  a  line  cutting  through  Massachusetts  Bar,  the  lowest  on  the  latter  stream. 

From  the  latter  locality,  we  pass  through  placers  three  miles  from  Alder  Springs, 
and  in  a  southerly  course  from  thence  to  the  west  of  Prarie  City.  On  the  Con- 
sumnes  they  are  again  found  at  Michigan  Flat  and  Cook's  Bar,  and  following  the 
plains  they  again  occur  four  miles  west  of  lone  Valley.  South  of  the  latter  and 
along  the  western  lines  of  the  county  of  Calaveras  to  Jackson  Ferry,  on  the 
Tuolumne  River,  and  between  that  stream  and  the  Merced,  there  are  ten  locations, 
known  as  mining  camps  or  towns,  the  inhabitants  of  which  will  equal  those  of  some 
of  the  more  inland  districts.  The  number  of  settlements  on  this  range,  at  this 
time,  amounts  to  thirty-one,  several  of  which  have  been  occupied  for  the  past  two 
years.  This  fact  alone  is  sufficient  to  establish  its  character  as  a  mining  district, 
and  it  is  one  also  that  many  hundred  thousands  in  gold  has  been  extracted  from 
during  1854. 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  noting  the  localities  situated  upon  this  range,  for 
the  purpose  of  quieting  if  possible,  some  few  of  those  periodic  effusions  which  flow 
from  the  over-anxious  conservators  of  the  public  good  both  at  home  and  abroad,  by 
exhibiting  what  may  be  considered  an  approximate  outline  of  the  area  of  our  min 
eral  resources  so  far  as  known,  and  to  contradict  plainly  by  statistical  facts,  (the 
bolder  enunciation  which  too  often  appears  in  the  columns  of  those  who  should  be 
possessed  of  better  information)  that  the  mines  of  this  State  are  in  a  depreciating 
condition,  to  that  extent  that  either  confidence  or  capital  investment  in  either 
branch,  may  be  considered  a  hazardous  enterprise. 

Another  reason  for  the  local  details  respecting  the  valley  mines,  as  given,  is  for 
the  purpose  of  eliciting  that  attention  to  the  location  of  lands  for  agricultural  pur 
poses,  which  the  statutes  of  this  State  and  the  United  States  prescribe  in  relation 
thereto,  and  to  define  as  near  as  possible,  the  western  limits  to  ^ich  the  mineral 
lands  in  all  probability  extend  ;  and  due  care  in  selecting  lands  for  the  purposes  of 
agriculture  along  the  eastern  borders  of  these  plains  will  ultimately  save  much  ex 
pensive  litigation  and  trouble. 

The  western  limits  of  the  mineral  lands  are  generally  well  defined,  and  so  dis 
tinctly  marked  that  even  the  stranger  may  readily  recognize  them  in  passing  across 
them.  The  following  are  the  characteristics  that  will  designate  these  grounds,  from 


79 

those  in  which  no  gold  has  as  yet  been  found,  and  which  latter  approximate  and 
form  in  some  few  instances  the  eastern  borders  of  the  phins. 

I  will  here  quote  from  my  report  of  1853,  the  original  description  of  this 
section  of  the  State.  I  have  seen  no  reason  to  change  the  opinion  then  enter 
tained,  but  believe  that  all  subsequent  events  to  the  present  time  are  fully  cor 
roborative  of  that  position. 

"  This  district  of  country  is  situated  in  the  lower  foot-hills  and  immediately 
on  the  eastern  edge  of  the  valley.  It  maintains  a  very  uniform  breadth  of  about 
four  miles,  (from  the  base  of  the  hills,)  and  is  almost  uninterrupted  throughout 
the  valleys  adjoining  the  foot-hills  to  the  east.  A  large  part  of  the  mining  dis 
trict  of  the  county  of  Sacramento  is  a  true  example  of  these  lands,  though  the 
principal  range  alluded  to  is  situated  a  short  distance  west  of  those  points  in 
which  mining  operations  are  conducted  at  the  present  time.7' 

This  district  is  strongly  marked  throughout  its  entire  extent,  and  in  passing 
over  it  either  from  the  mountains  or  from  the  valley  to  the  mineral  districts 
proper,  -the  transition  is  so  marked  that  it  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the  most  careless  traveler.  It  will  recur  to  the  mind  of  almost  every  person  who 
has  passed  from  the  valleys  into  the  interior,  that  at  the  distance  of  some  four 
teen  miles  east  of  the  Sacramento  River,  that  he  enters  very  suddenly  a  district 
of  the  plains  thickly  strewed  with  small  angular  pebbles  of  quartz,  the  belt  is 
scarcely  less  than  two  miles  in  width  at  any  point  and  in  some  places  much 
broader,  (extending  often  to  four  miles.)  On  reaching  the  eastern  verge  of  the 
plains,  the  transition  is  equally  marked  and  sudden  as  in  the  first  instance;  the 
angular  pebbles  disappear  and  a  few  round  pebbles  mixed  with  alluvium,  replace 
them  for  a  short  distance,  when  these  are  immediately  succeeded  by  the  outcrop 
of  the  slates." 

"  From  what  the  writer  has  seen  of  this  district,  I  feel  no  hesitancy  in  saying 
that  it  must  in  a  few  years  become  the  busy  field  of  active  and  extensive  mining 
operations,  and  I  think  this  opinion  will  meet  the  concurrence  of  those  persons 
who  are  intimately  acquainted  with  the  localities  and  are  engaged  in  mining 
operations,  at  the  present  time,  within  the  limits  prescribed." 

"  It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  this  section  of  country  will  prove  as  highly 
productive  in  a  short  space  of  time  as  the  superficial  deposits  of  the  interior 
sections,  nor  can  it  with  any  degree  of  propriety  be  expected,  but  as  a  compen 
satory  principle,  they  will  possess  the  double  advantage  of  being  readily  acces 
sible  and  though  yielding  a  lower,  they  will  render  a  more  continued  remunera 
tion  for  labor  and  a  surer  prospect  of  success  " 

In  quoting  the  first  part  of  the  last  paragraph  I  would  not  be  understood  as 
entertaining  the  same  opinion  at  this  time,  for  the  development  of  these  placers 
since  that  day  has  furnished  grounds  for  a  change  of  opinion  in  that  particular,  and 
I  taka  this  opportunity  to  recall  it. 

"Within  the  past  year,  where  the  advantages  of  water  in  sufficient  quantity  existed 
to  conduct  operations  in  mining,  these  districts  have  yielded  as  fair  average  returns 
for  labor  as  any  district  of  the  State.  And  though  situated  so  far  to  the  west  and 
into  the  plains,  where  we  should  have  expected  to  have  found  little  else  than  fine 
"  drift  gold,"  it  is  proved  that  in  the  majority  of  those  localities  which  have  been 
opened,  that  metal  equally  coarse  with  much  found  in  the  more  elevated  districts 
has  been  taken  from  the  valley  mines.  This  fact  is  sufficient  to  do  away  with  the 
idea  that  the  deposits  of  the  plains  are  merely  accidental,  as  they  have  been  termed  ; 
they  have  evidently  been  derived  in  a  great  measure  from  the  breaking  down  of  the 
adjacent  sedimentary  rocks,  which  contain  veins  of  auriferous  quartz,  the  disintegra 
tion  of  which  has  furnished  the  material  which  we  now  find  distributed  throughout 
the  range,  and  from  that  cause  we  may  expect  that  these  placers  will  prove  equally 
advantageous  for  operation  on  an  extended  scale  as  many  of  the  more  ancient  beds 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  ^ 


80 

The  limits  of  that  district,  containing  gold  upon  the  plains,  I  should  estimate  as 
carrying  a  line  parallel  with  the  foothills  and  at  a  distance  of  four  miles  west  of  the 
latter,  and  which  should  be  considered  mineral  lands  in  the  strictest  sense  in  which 
that  term  is  applied,  and  they  should  be  subjected  to  the  same  jurisdiction  that  now 
obtains  in  the  mountain  sections.  Such  lands  under  our  present  system  of  laws 
are  not  subject  to  entry,  and  the  fact  is  thus  mentioned  that  their  position  may  be 
better  understood. 

From  the  best  information  obtainable  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  it  is  believed 
that  the  amount  of  ground  in  actual  occupancy  and  under  improvement  for  mining 
purposes  does  not  probably  exceed  four  hundred  square  miles,  one  fourth  of  which 
area  may  be  included  in  what  are  known  as  old  placers,  and  which  are  still  produc 
tive.  During  the  year  1852  it  was  estimated  that  one  hundred  thousand  men  were 
engaged  in  the  extraction  of  gold,  (this  is  probably  a  close  figure)  a  much  greater 
number  than  has  been  employed  since  that  time,  and  whose  aggregate  product  for 
that  year  amounted  to  the  sum  of  forty-five  millions  of  dollars.  Taking  as  a  basis 
the  returns  of  the  last  census  from  which  we  find  that  the  total  number  of  inhabit 
ants  in  the  mining  counties  for  that  year  amounted  to  one  hundred  and  forty-three 
thousand  (allowing  thirty  thousand  for  El  Dorado  not  returned)  of  sixty  per  cent, 
of  which  number  were  probably  engaged  in  the  actual  process  of  mining  or  a  total 
of  about  eighty-six  thousand  thus  employed  for  1853. 

This  is  probably  above  the  actual  number  employed  during  1853  and  1854,  as  a 
very  large  number  of  those  formerly  engaged  in  mining  have  employed  their  time, 
since  1852,  in  agricultural  pursuits.  These  estimates  may  be  considered  approxi 
mations  only,  but  taking  the  highest  possible  figure  that  can  be  given  for  those 
employed  for  the  years  1853  and  1854,  (eighty  thousand)  the  following  propor 
tional  results  for  labor  will  be  found  ;  the  actual  working  time,  in  this  branch  of 
employment,  in  this  State,  being  about  eight  months  of  the  year.  The  figures 
below  comprise  those  only  which  have  appeared  in  manifests,  with  the  exception  of 
those  of  1854,  in  which  the  deposits  at  the  Mint  for  coinage  and  bars  during  the 
months  of  November  and  December  are  included  with  that  known  to  have  remained 
on  deposit  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  and  which  was  the  product  of  the  year 
last  past.  The  two  latter  sums  make  up  an  aggregate  of  little  more  than  eleven 
millions,  which,  with  the  exports  of  1854,  amounts  to  the  sum  of  sixty-one  millions 
that  is  known  as  the  product  for  that  year  : 


TABLE  OF  EXPORTS,  PRODUCT,  AND  AVERAGE  WAGES. 

Exports  and  Product.     Miners.     Average  Per  Annum. 

1852,  -        -        -         $45,000,000  100,000  $450 

1853,  ....      56,000,000  86,000  670     . 

1854,  -  -          61,000,000  86,000  700 

»  ¥ 

The  above  is  certainly  a  much  better  remuneration  for  labor  than  can  be  found 
in  any  other  State  of  the  Union,  and  is  fully  corroborative  of  the  fact  long  since 
stated,  that  our  mines  are  absolutely  yielding  a  higher  income  at  present,  than  at 
any  former  period,  with  a  less  amount  of  work  expended.  There  are  no  preten 
sions  to  accuracy  in  the  above  figures,  as  no  fractional  amounts  are  included,  which 
would  have  swelled  the  amounts  given,  to  a  material  degree.  They  are  intended 
to  convey  but  a  general  idea  of  what  labor  will  command  in  the  mines  of  the  State, 
from  one  portion  of  the  mining  sections  to  any  other  extremes  thus  far  known. 

From  what  has  been  said  of  the  areas  comprised  within  the  lines  of  the  different 
ranges,  as  given  in  the  preceding  pages,  it  will  be  seen  that  we  have  still  enough 


81 

and  to  spare  for  all  who  are  present,  and  for  all  that  may  hereafter  arrive,  for  at 
least  the  next  half  century.  There  need  be  but  little  fear  of  their  failing  to  yield 
their  annual  crop  of  gold,  as  long,  perhaps,  as  our  valleys  will  yield  their  crops  of 
grain. 

The  aggregate  areas  amount  to  about  eleven  thousand  square  miles,  that  is 
known  to  contain  gold ;  and,  when  this  is  compared  with  the  area  actually  occu 
pied,  the  latter  will  be  found  to  comprise  but  a  mere  mite  of  our  available 
resources.  With  our  present  population  of  the  mining  districts,  and  the  broad 
expanse  of  territory  over  which  they  are  spread,  they  appear  like  mere  specks, 
dotting  the  surface  of  an  inland  sea,  so  indistinct  as  scarcely  to  be  appreciable  on 
the  broad  expanse  by  which  they  are  surrounded. 


QUARTZ  VEINS. 

In  my  report  of  last  year,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  quartz  veins  of  the  State 
were  divided  into  separate  groups  denominated  the  older  and  recent  groups, 
each  having  a  different  age  and  apparently  belonging  to  different  geological  per 
iods.  These  were  again  separated  into  three  divisions,  each  occupying  certain 
districts  of  the  State,  and  the  divisions  of  the  older  group  were  found  run 
ning  in  lines  nearly  parallel  with  each  other. 

It  will  be  necessary  briefly  to  allude  to  the  relative  disposition  of  these  veins 
among  their  investing  rocks  in  order  to  obtain  a  better  idea  of  the  positions  and 
relations  of  other  veins  which  have  been  developed  with  the  year  that  has  pass 
ed. 

That  group  which  was  denominated  the  "  older,"  and  which  includes  the  east 
ern  and  more  central  line  of  dikes  that  traverse  the  inland  districts  of  the  State 
pursue  a  strike  which  is  nearly  north  and  south.  This  intrusion  occurred  evi 
dently  during  the  period  immediately  preceding  the  upheaval  of  the  rocks  be 
longing  to  the  tertiary  epoch,  the  proofs  of  which  are  found  in  the  part  that  in 
no  instance  are  they  known  to  have  disturbed  the  rocks  of  that  date,  though 
often  found  closely  adjoining  the  latter,  and  which  in  some  instances  are  found 
to  overlie  the  dikes  themselves. 

The  uniformity  which  these  rocks  present  in  their  latitudes  with  the  rocks  by 
which  they  are  invested,  compels  us  to  admit  that  they  must  be  regarded  as  a 
distinct  group,  equally  as  marked  in  feature  as  are  any  of  the  different  beds 
which  go  to  make  up  any  series  found  in  the  sedimentary  rocks  of  any  portion  of 
the  State. 

To  the  west  of  this  suite  of  veins,  are  found  the  more  recent  dikes,  and  which 
were  called  the  "  recent  group."  These  extend  from  the  edge  of  the  plain 
eastward  for  about  fifteen  miles,  and  in  some  few  instances  have  been  found  in 
truded  among  the  rocks  of  the  preceding  period. 

The  peculiarities  that  remove  these  veins  from  the  former,  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  they  have  disturbed  not  only  the  primitive  but  also  the  most  recent  of  the 
tertiary  rocks  of  these  districts,  and  as  late  as  the  pliocene  group  in  other  parts 
of  the  State,  abundant  evidences  of  which  are  met  with  in  many  parts  of  the 
coast  mountains. 

The  course  of  the  recent  dikes  diverges  from  those  of  the  older  at  an  angle 
of  about  twenty-four  degrees,  their  mean  trend  being  south  twenty-four  degrees 
east,  and  north  twenty-four  degrees  west.  Were  these  peculiarities  merely  local, 
we  might  with  some  degree  of  reason  assign  to  the  entire  series  a  cotemporane- 
ous  age,  the  characteristics  noticed  pervade  so  great  an  extent  of  country  that 

11 


82 

we  should  find  some  difficulty  in  demonstrating  that  they  made  their  appearance 
among  the  other  rocks  during  one  and  the  same  period. 

In  addition  to  the  preceding  series  we  have  now  to  consider  another  and  dis 
tinct  set  of  veins  which  have  been  developed  and  clearly  defined  during  the  past 
eighteen  months.  These  are  the  east  and  west  veins,  which  often  cut  for 
mer  dikes  at  nearly  right  angles,  and  when  first  seen  were  regarded  as  branches 
of  the  north  and  south  lodes  ;  but  subsequent  observation  has  established  the 
fact  that  they  are  an  entirely  independent  group. 

At  present  there  are  eight  localities  in  the  State  at  which  these  veins  are  known 
to  occur,  four  of  which  are  found  to  cut  the  older  veins,  and  the  others  are  located 
among  the  slates  of  the  tertiaries.  We  have  no  means  as  yet  of  determining  the 
fact  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  whether  the  east  and  west  veins  are  older  or 
nearer  than  the  tertiary  dikes,  but  what  evidences  there  are  existing  leads  to  the 
inference  that  they  preceeded  the  latter.  This  presumption  is  based  upon  the  fact 
that  where  the  east  and  west  veins  are  noticed  among  these  rocks,  there  is  not  the 
same  evidences  of  disruptive  agency  as  at  those  points  where  they  are  found  in 
contact  with  the  older  veins.  The  information  in  our  possession  relative  to  these 
dikes  throughout  the  State,  is  such  at  present  that  we  are  enabled  to  arrange  them 
in  somewhat  a  more  systematic  order  than  has  heretofore  been  presented. 

The  table  below  will  present  at  one  view  the  different  systems  that  are  at  present 
known,  and  which  are  beyond  all  question  ;  but  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  those 
presented  comprise  all  that  will  ultimately  be  developed  among  the  metalliferous 
lodes  of  the  State.  Others  might  be  added  to  the  present  list  were  we  to  adopt  the 
plan  of  arranging  a  system  from  surface  features  alone,  but  we  prefer  waiting  until 
those  lodes  which  present  indistinct  evidences  of  being  unconnected  with  the  others 
shall  have  been  definitely  settled  by  subterranean  openings,  for  nothing  can  be  lost 
by  the  delay. 

SYSTEMS    OF    VEINS 

No.  1 — North  and  South  Veins. 

No.  2— East  and  West  Veins. 

No.  3 — Northeast  and  Southwest  Veins. 

The  above  are  the  only  lodes  yet  known,  and  the  former  division  of  the 
groups  will  still  be  retained  until  such  time  as  the  effects  of  the  east  and  west 
veins  on  the  recent  or  tertiary  dikes  shall  have  been  ascertained.  The  rocks 
disturbed  by  each  system  will  be  lound  as  follows  : 

SYSTEMS.  GROUPS.  ROCKS   DISTURBED. 

North  and  South  Veins.  Older.          Primitive. 

East  and  West  Veins.  Median.       Primitive. 

Southeast  and  Northwest  Veins.       Recent.        Tertiary  Slates  and  Sandstone. 

The  dissimilarity  in  the  metallic  constituents  of  these  systems  is  worthy  of 
remark,  as  well  also  as  the  peculiar  dispositions  of  the  metal  itself.  In  the  first 
and  second  cases  we  find  but  little  disposition  to  the  crystalline  form  in  any  of 
the  veins  yet  explored,  while  in  the  other,  the  metal  more  frequently  assumes 
this  character,  and  the  percentage  of  silver  is  also  much  greater. 

The  constituents  of  the  veins  are  equally  well  marked,  the  ores  of  lead  are  far 
more  common  in  the  east  and  west  lodes  than  that  usually  found  in  either  of 
the  others.  As  a  general  fact,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  metal  from  the 
placers  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  these  veins  often  bears  but  little  analogy  to 
to  that  found  in  situ  among  the  rocks  of  the  district  in  which  the  latter  are 
situated.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  gold  of  a  very  low  carat  in  a  placer, 


83 

while  that  of  a  metallic  lode  adjoining  would  be  correspondingly  high,  and  the 
reverse  of  this  is  also  true. 

The  gold  of  the  North  and  South  veins  is  usually  destitute  of  any  crystalline  form 
with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  instances,  while  that  from  the  east  and  west  veins 
possesses  this  character  in  a  much  higher  degree  These  lodes  also  contain  the 
largest  amount  of  other  metallic  compounds,  as  lead  and  copper,  the  first  of  which 
is  frequently  productive  of  silver ;  I  have  seen  gold  from  one  of  these  veins  pro 
ducing  five  per  cent  of  that  metal ;  the  assay  was  made  at  the  United  States  Mint 
of  this  State. 

These  points  lead  to  interesting  inquiries  relative  to  placer  gold,  and  when  fully 
understood,  will  settle  many  of  the  discrepancies  that  now  obtain  in  relation  to  the 
variable  character  of  the  metal  produced  from  these  districts ;  and  will  ultimately  be 
the  means  of  determining  the  relative  ages  of  such  deposits. 

From  mining  explorations  we  are  constantly  acquiring  information  of  the  distri 
bution  of  the  metallic  lodes  of  the  State,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  all  the 
different  systems  of  productive  veins  will  be  fully  understood  and  their  peculiarities 
noted  with  that  precision  which  the  necessities  of  this  department  of  business  de 
mands,  and  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  changes  that  occur  in  these  lodes  is 
now  being  understood  as  necessary  in  prosecuting  this  business  with  advantage. 

There  is  a  manifest  disposition  in  the  veins  below  the  surface  to  produce  silver, 
and  as  before  remarked  that  tendency  is  much  the  strongest  in  the  Median  set  of 
veins.  Associated  with  the  galena  of  those  lodes,  molybdenum  and  tellurium  are 
common  attendants  throughout,  and  when  these  veins  shall  have  been  carried  to 
near  those  depths  to  which  similar  operations  have  been  conducted  in  other 
countries,  we  may  confidently  look  for  a  supply  of  this  metal  that  will  be  but  little 
inferior  to  the  present  product  of  gold. 


QUARTZ    MINES. 

The  operations  in  this  department  have  continued  active  during  the  past  season, 
and  the  number  of  mines  is  on  the  increase.  So  far  as  the  workings  have  been 
conducted  on  the  lodes  during  the  past  year,  there  are  no  farther  evidences  of 
pinching  out  than  was  presented  in  my  former  report.  But  to  the  contrary,  the 
majority  of  the  veins  have  increased  a  little  in  power,  or  have  maintained  fully 
that  to  which  they  had  arrived  last  year.  The  greater  proportion  of  the  mines 
have  been  carried  to  more  depth  than  before  attained. 

Of  the  total  number  of  mines  reported  in  active  operation  during  the  year, 
there  are  thirty-one  still  engaged,  nine  of  the  number  having  suspended  during 
1854.  Of  the  total  number  suspended,  five  can  be  considered  but  temporary,  as 
two  are  erecting  new  reduction  works,  the  other  three  have  ceased  to  reduce  ores 
from  the  inefficiency  of  their  machinery,  and  it  is  not  probable  that  they  will  again 
resume  operations  until  the  means  of  transportation  is  such  that  heavy  freights 
can  be  conveyed  to  near  the  districts  in  which  the  latter  are  located.  At  present 
the  only  transportation  to  these  sections  is  upon  the  backs  of  mules  and  horses, 
and  those  acquainted  with  the  requisites  of  machinery  for  the  reduction  of  ores 
Tull  readily  perceive  the  inadequacy  of  such  material  as  could  be  conveyed  over 
rugged  mountain  trails  by  the  latter  process. 

The  jjarties  owning  these  mines  have  not  abandoned  the  enterprise  on  which 
they  entered,  but  will  await  the  time  when  the  avenues  of  communication  afford 
advantages  superior  to  those  at  present  in  use,  and  which  will  undoubtedly  be 
opened  during  the  present  year. 

The  remaining  four  companies  that  have  stopped  their  operations,  I  am  unable 


84 

to  give  any  cause  for,  as  the  parties  who  had  the  control  of  affairs  were  absent  at 
the  time  I  visited  the  districts.  The  report  of  those  in  the  vicinity  of  these  mines, 
in  relation  to  the  cause  of  their  suspension,  was  not  of  a  favorable  character  for 
their  early  resumption,  but  I  should  be  unwilling  to  say  that  a  mine  was  valueless 
upon  such  evidence,  as  private  interests  often  exaggerate  unfavorable  circumstances 
above  their  true  color  The  four  last  are  in  reality  all  that  can  be  considered  as 
permanently  suspended,  and  the  five  preceding  are  at  the  best  but  temporary,  as 
three  of  the  number  will  resume  work  about  the  beginning  of  June,  and  the  re 
maining  two  probably  as  early  as  September  next. 

In  the  immature  state  of  this  branch  of  industry,  and  the  inefficiency  of 
machinery,  with  the  difficulty  of  commanding  often  the  necessary  amount  of  capital 
to  conduct  these  operations  to  a  succcessful  termination,  the  ratio  of  ten  per  cent, 
of  those  who  fail  cannot  by  any  means  be  considered  as  very  large.  And  when  it 
is  compared  with  similar  transactions  in  this  State  little  more  than  two  years  since, 
the  above  sinks  into  insignificance.  Or,  if  we  look  to  more  distant  regions,  it  will 
not  be  difficult  to  find  more  than  a  parallel  in  the  operations  that  transpired  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Lake  Superior  mines.  The  history  of  mining,  either  in  the 
United  States  or  Great  Britain,  when  carefully  examined,  will  not  present  a 
broader  margin  of  successes  than  is  to  be  found  in  the  gold  mines  of  this  State 
since  it  became  what  might  be  considered  a  settled  business,  and  the  position  which 
they  hold  as  sources  of  profit,  with  an  increasing  confidence,  is  the  best  proof  of 
their  value.  As  we  are  situated  in  this  State,  these  mines  are  subjected  to  the 
most  severe  test  which  it  is  in  the  power  of  man  to  inflict  upon  a  business  of  this 
character.  It  is  the  test  of  intrinsic  merit,  and  though  invidious  clamors  are  at 
times  uttered,  and  often  by  those  who  have  never  taken  the  pains  to  inform  them 
selves  as  to  their  native  richness,  still  these  even  grow  fainter  as  each  succeed 
ing  month  brings  to  light  new  evidences  of  success. 

Had  we  the  sams  facilities  of  exhibiting  the  characters  which  our  gold 
mines  present, through  the  agency  of  mining  journals  and  jobbing  boards,  like 
those  in  New-York,  Boston,  and  the  English  Metropolis,  we  have  no  fear  but  that 
the  mines  of  this  State  would  take  their  position  in  the  front  rank  of  those 
operations.  But  unlike^  the  mines  abroad,  they  do  not  require  at  home  the 
prestige  which  fancy  paper  throws  around  the  many  faltering  institutions  of  our 
distant  neighbors. 

That  our  mines  have  thus  withstood  the  violent  assaults  that  have  been  made 
upon  them  by  those  who  stand  behind  the  scenes  of  a  foreign  press,  and  thus 
attempt  to  give  a  fatal  thrust  unseen,  is  one  strong  evidence  that  they  inherit  a 
vitality  which  it  is  beyond  the  powers  of  those  in  this  State  still  thus  employed  to 
deprive  them  of.  We  have  passed  that  day  when  either  British  skill  or  capital  is 
required  to  foster  these  operations,  and  the  evidences  are  strong,  that  under  the 
circumstances,  as  they  have  proved  themselves,  we  should  have  been  far  better 
conditioned  had  their  attention  been  directed  to  ether,  and  probably  to  them  more 
congenial  channels. 

We  had  expected  to  have  received  instruction  in  the  mysterious  art  of  mining 
from  a  people  who  boast  the  knowledge  of  centuries  of  experience  in  that  pro 
fession  ;  but  to  their  own  astonishment,  American  miners  in  California  have 
become  their  tutors.  I  would  not  be  guilty  of  casting  envious  reproaches  upon 
foreign  friends,  but  justice  to  ourselves  demands  that  the  PACTS  should  come 
out. 

Another  argument  which  in  itself  carries  weight  in  regard  to  the  integrity  of 
these  mines,  is  the  fact,  that  none  of  ithose  at  present  engaged  exhibit  the  slight 
est  hesitancy  in  embarking  in  additional  enterprises.  This  is  proved  from  the 
fact  of  a  constant  addition  of  new  reduction  works  in  different  parts  of  the  State, 
and  more  particularly  in  those  counties  where  the  mines  have  been  opened  to  the 
greatest  extent.  It  is  hardly  a  supposable  case,  to  believe  that  men  would  thus 


85 

coolly  invest  in  speculations  that  require  sums  varying  from  fifteen  to  fifty  thou 
sand  dollars,  which  three  years  experience  before  them  has  demonstrated  to  be  a 
failing  and  unprofitable  business.  We  might  torture  the  fact  into  such  a  conclu 
sion,  but  the  exercise  of  a  little  reason  would  be  likely  to  dictate  otherwise. 

At  the  present  time  we  find  parties  entering  the  field  with  new  and  increased 
facilities  at  their  command,  (and  who,  from  mismanagement,  in  times  gone  by, 
have  lost  heavily)  and  are  now  realizing  their  most  sanguine  expectations  from  a 
judicious  management  of  those  operations  in  which  they  formerly  failed  to  suc 
ceed. 

The  greater  proportion  of  those  who  have  embarked  in  this  business  within  the 
past  year,  are  men  who  have  heretofore  lost  heavily  in  the  same  business.  Their 
experience  of  former  days  taught  them  somewhat  a  severe  lesson,  but  at  the  same 
time,  they  learued  enough  of  the  value  of  these  metallic  veins  to  inspire  that  con 
fidence  in  ultimate  success  which  they  are  now  realizing  in  an  eminent  degree. 
This  proves  that  their  confidence  was  not  misplaced,  and  the  only  error  committed 
in  the  premises  was  too  hasty  and  inconsiderate  action,  and  the  use  of  means  inade 
quate  to  secure  the  desired  end. 

Gold  mining  in  this  State  has  arrived  at  such  a  point,  that  it  is  now  looked  upon 
by  those  in  the  least  conversant  with  the  business,  as  one  of  the  principal  and 
best  employments  for  Capital  and  labor  ;  yielding  a  higher  rate  of  profit  for  the 
means  employed  than  any  one  branch  of  mercantile  pursuits  at  present  known  in 
this  country  ;  and  as  an  evidence  of  this  it  will  be  but  necessary  to  state  that  sev 
eral  of  the  mercantile  men  of  the  larger  cities  have  withdrawn  their  capital  from 
their  former  pursuits  and  invested  the  same  in  the  latter.  It  is  a  rare  thing  to 
find  one  of  these  mines  doing  a  losing  business,  for  it  has  become  a  settled  prin 
ciple,  that  the  lodes  will  pay  the  expenses  of  opening  the  mine,  and  there  are 
but  few  that  do  not  do  it. 

Numerous  instances  of  this  character  are  found  in  the  State,  and  so  well  has 
this  been  demonstrated  that  those  who  engage  in  this  business  seldom  fail  to 
realize  that  result.  One  of  the  best  examples  of  this  is  the  case  of  one  of  the 
mines  in  the  county  of  Amador,  the  aggregate  expenses  of  which,  in  opening 
their  mine  and  the  erection  of  their  reduction  works,  amounted  to  seventy-one 
thousand  dollars,  while  the  receipts  from  the  mine,  consisting  of  ore  removed 
from  the  shafts  and  gallerys  in  opening,  amounted  to  sixty-two  thousand,  the 
engine  of  the  mill  costing  over  twenty-two  thousand.  In  this  case  the  opening 
of  the  mine  paid  nearly  the  entire  expenses  of  the  concern.  This  is  not  an 
isolated  instance,  it  is  mentioned  as  illustrating  what  we  have  formerly  said  on 
this  subject,  and  is  stated  as  a  fact  which  speaks  louder  than  words. 

Such  is  a  brief  history  of  the  general  phases  which  are  presented  in  this  branch 
of  employment  at  the  present  time  in  this  State,  and  with  what  has  been  said 
relating  to  this  subject  in  my  former  reports,  may  serve,  perhaps,  to  correct  some 
of  the  erroneous  impressions  that  still  attach  themselves  to  this  important  source 
of  wealth,  and  which  are  as  groundless  as  the  wind.  The  sun'  of  that  day  has 
set,  when  it  will  again  be  in  the  power  of  any  man,  or  set  of  men,  to  again  wreck 
that  confidence  which  now  reposes  in  the  value  of  the  gold  mines  of  this  State ; 
their  results  have  placed  them  beyond  the  reach  of  cavil,  and  beyond  the  shade 
of  doubt. 

In  what  follows  I  shall  confine  myself  to  such  statistics  of  mines  as  are  at  the 
present  time  in  my  possession,  with  a  catalogue  of  such  new  mines  as  have  been 
opened  during  the  past  year,  and  also  a  notice  of  such  mines  as  were  in  operation 
and  unknown  to  me  at  the  time  of  the  publication  of  my  former  report. 


86 


LAFAYETTE  AND  HELVETIA  MINE. 

« 

This  mine  is  located  in  Grass  Valley,  and  the  diagram  of  their  workings  is  taken 
from  the  lode  on  Lafayette  Hill,  one  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  the  town.  In 
this  mine  is  found  a  heavy  east  and  west  vein,  having  a  dip  of  about  thirty-eight 
degrees,  witli  a  power  of  four  feet  at  eight  fathoms.  The  lodes  of  this  hill  have 
been  fairly  opened,  and  thus  far  present  a  somewhat  envious  feature  to  neighbors. 
The  present  depth  of  the  workings  are  about  eleven  fathoms  at  the  deepest  point, 
the  lode  in  the  greenstone,  with  the  above  power  and  a  tendency  to  advance  from 
the  latter.  The  underlie  of  the  vein  for  about  one  hundred  feet  and  immediately 
adjoining  the  walls,  is  a  bed  of  hydrosilicate  of  magnesia  of  an  extremely  fine  tex 
ture,  containing  gold.  And  the  adit  level  of  the  mine,  exclusive  of  the  team-road 
for  conveying  the  cattle  to  the  mine-yard,  is  in  its  total  length  1200  feet.  Not  in 
creased  from  last  year,  it  will  be  seen,  in  consequence  of  the  change  in  the 
course  in  which  they  have  been  driving  daring  the  past  year  on  the  east 
and  west  lode.  The  working  on  the  latter  is  near  one  hundred  and  forty  feet, 
and  thus  far  proved  a  fine  quality  of  ore 

During  the  past  season  the  company  have  erected  a  new  mill  directly  upon  the 
last  lode.  This  is  a  most  judicious  movement  on  their  part,  as  it  will  be  the ' 
means  of  saving  the  neat  sum  of  eleven  thousand  dollars  each  year  which  has 
been  heretofore  paid  out  for  teaming.  The  arsenical  ores  do  not  increase  much 
from  last  year,  and  the  sulphuret  of  iron  containing  and  investing  the  metal,  is 
more  abundant  than  formerly.  The  reduction  works  are  carried  by  a  twenty-five 
horse-engine,  with  a  double  battery  of  nine  stamps  each,  and  when  in  full  opera 
tion  is  capable  of  reducing  about  thirty  tons  of  ore  per  day.  This  mine  employs 
twelve  miners  on  the  lode,  day  and  night,  while  the  aggregate  of  the  other  labor 
ers  amounts  to  twelve  more ;  making  a  total  of  twenty -four. 

The  use  of  Cram's  cylinder  and  Berdan's  amalgamating  apparatus,  have  been 
thrown  aside  as  of  little  use,  and  inferior  to  the  more  simple  and  far  less  expen 
sive  methods  that  have  been  suggested  from  practical  experience  in  this  district. 


OSBORN  HILL  MINE. 

This  mine  is  located  two  miles  east  of  Grass  Valley,  on  the  above  hill,  and  the 
Lawrence  Hill  adjacent.  Vein  has  a  strike  north  and  south,  with  an  easterly  dip 
of  forty  degrees.  The  workings  of  1853  have  been  abandoned  for  the  purpose  of 
attacking  the  lode  at  a  lower  point,  some  six  hundred  feet  to  the  north  of  the 
latter,  and  thus  drain  the  southern  part  of  the  lode.  This  has  been  accomplished 
by  the  sinking  of  their  water-shaft  to  the  depth  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  feet, 
and  which  is  fifty-one  feet  deeper  than  their  former  shafts  of  the  old  workings, 
and  cuts  the  lode  about  80  feet  below  the  greatest  depth  reached  at  any  former 
period.  The  amount  of  levels  driven  on  Osborn  Hill,  and  principally  south  of 
the  deep  shaft,  exclusive  of  the  extreme  south  workings,  is  four  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  and  upon  Lawrence  Hill  three  hundred  feet ;  making  a  total  of  seven  hun 
dred  and  fifty  feet  thus  exposing  a  heavy  bed  of  good  ore.  The  amount  of 
shafting  on  both  hills  is  near  that  of  the  levels ;  the  mine  is  thus  well  ventilated. 
The  power  of  the  vein  is  three  and  one  half  feet,  at  the  depth  of  twenty  feet  into 
the  solid  greenstone.  Arsenical  pyrites  are  plentiful  among  the  ores  of  this  mine. 
The  full  complement  of  laborers  at  this  mine  engaged  in  the  lode,  is  thirty-two. 


87 


EMPIRE  MINE. 

Situated  in  Grass  Valley,  near  the  southern  extremity  of  the  town.  This  mine 
has  been  in  active  operation  for  two  years,  and  their  works  have  been  uninter 
rupted  during  the  greater  part  of  that  time. 

Their  principal  lode  is  situated  at  Ophir  Hill,  one  and  a  half  miles  to  the  east 
of  their  reduction  works.  The  superior  portion  of  the  lode  is  situated  in  a  decom 
posed  granitic  rock,  and  enters  the  greenstone  at  the  depth  of  103  feet,  at  the 
engine  shaft  A.  The  accompanying  diagram  is  a  general  plan  of  their  tower 
workings  which  is  on  a  level  with  the  bottom  of  the  above  shaft.  The  entire  lode 
is  very  much  decomposed,  and  the  quartz  matrix  heavily  charged  with  peroxide 
of  iron ;  it  is  very  seldom  that  gold  is  easily  discoverable  with  the  naked  eye  in 
any  of  the  ores  from  this  hill,  yet  is  found  to  yield  remarkably  high  in  the  reduc 
ing  process.  At  the  main  shaft,  A,  is  an  eight  inch  lifting-pump,  driven  by 
steam  to  free  the  mine  from  water  and  also  for  bringing  ores  to  the  surface  from 
level,  B,  and  gallery,  C,  the  same  being  conveyed  from  the  latter  down  to  the 
level  through  the  winzes,  1,  2,  3,  4.  The  ores  from  the  galleries,  D,  are  deliv 
ered  at  the  whim  shafts,  E,  E. 

The  ground  plan  exhibits  the  extent  of  the  workings  in  December,  1854,  and 
from  it  may  be  gleaned  ^ome  idea  of  the  amount  of  ore  immediately  available,  as 
well  also  as  the  very  judicious  manner  in  which  the  mine  is  conducted,  both  for 
convenience  and  economy.  The  ores  from  the  lode,  like  all  the  other  mines  of 
this  section,  are  breasted  out,  giving  ample  and  convenient  room  for  the  disposition 
of  the  attle.  The  strike  of  the  lode  is  north  eighteen  degrees  west,  with  a  dip  of 
twenty  degrees,  and  power  of  three  and  a  half  feet. 

The  complement  of  laborers  at  the  mine  is  thirty-four,  and  including  the  reduc 
tion  works  it  amounts  to  about  forty  men  actively  engaged. 


JONES'  AND  DAVIS'  MINE,  AMADOR,  COUNTY. 

The  mine  and  reduction  works  are  situated  on  the  east  side  of  a  small  tributary 
of  the  Amador  Creek,  the  latter  passing  through  the  town  of  Amador  one  mile 
north  of  this  mine.  The  top  of  the  whim  shaft  C  is  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  creek,  and  ninety  feet  below  the  outcrop  of  the  vein 
to  the  south.  The  shaft  4  on  the  vein  is  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet 
above  the  town  of  Amador.  The  design  of  the  company  in  the  working  of  their 
mine,  as  mentioned  in  the  report  of  last  year,  has  been  carried  out,  the  connec 
tion  of  the  lower  level  throughout  having  been  completed  but  a  few  days  before  I 
visited  the  mine  this  year.  The  mine,  as  now  opened,  presents  the  following  ar 
rangement  :  whim  shaft  C,  100  feet ;  south  shaft,  140  feet ;  upper  level,  280  feet ; 
middle  galleries,  150  feet;  bottom  levels,  180  feet.  The  amount  of  work  com 
pleted  within  the  past  year  is  indicated  by  the  dotted  lines,  and  the  total  amount 
of  excavation  on  the  lode  is  exhibited  in  the  dark  shades  of  the  accompanying  dia 
gram.  The  characteristics  of  the  mine  and  the  investing  rocks,  and  reduction 
works,  are  seen  by  reference  to  the  latter. 

This  company  have  erected  a  thirty-horse  water-wheel  and  double-battery  of 
eighteen  stamps,  their  power  is  sufficient  to  reduce  25  tons  of  ore  per  day.  They 
have  discontinued  the  use  of  steam. 


88 

The  fall  complement  of  laborers  for  this  mine  during  the  ensuing  year,  will 
amount  to  twenty-three ;  they  have  formerly  employed  thirty-four  doing  the 
opening  of  the  lode. 


KEY-STONE  MINE. 

Situated  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  south  of  the  former,  and  on  the  same 
tributary  of  the  Amador.  It  is  evidently  a  parallel  lode  with  that  of  Spring 
Hill,  and  Jones'  and  Davis's  mines,  and  is  situated  about  twenty-five  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Creek.  The  adit  runs  nearly  east  and  west  for  the  distance  of 
one  hundred  and  ten  feet,  at  which  point  the  lode  is  cut  with  a  power  of  three 
feet,  at  nine  fathoms  from  the  surface.  At  the  end  of  the  adit,  a  shaft  has  been 
sunk  through  the  lode  for  seven  fathoms ;  its  diameter  is  four  and  a  half  feet. 
This  shaft  is  heavily  timbered,  and  well  ceiled,  the  planking  and  frame  snugly 
jointed.  It  is  one  of  those  operations  that  partakes  strongly  of  the  character  of 
permanency  in  its  design  and  construction,  like  most  other  of  the  workings  of 
1S54  in  this  branch  of  business.  The  diagram  presents  the  work  on  the  lode  as 
now  progressing.  The  old  gallery  at  the  end  of  the  adit  has  been  driven  to  100 
feet  on  the  south,  and  90  feet  on  the  north.  The  gallery  18  feet  above  the  end 
of  the  adit,  has  been  carried  100  feet  in  each  direction.  The  level  at  the  bottom 
of  the  seven-fathom  shaft  is  94  feet,  with  a  power,  in  the  lode  of  five  feet. 

This  company  have  also  abandoned  the  use  of  steam  for  power,  and  have  erect 
ed  a  forty  horse  water  wheel,  and  heavy  battery  at  the  old  reduction  works. 
They  have  also  built  another  large  mill  south  of  the  former,  of  equal  capacity,  in 
order  to  work  their  mine  at  distant  points  to  better  advantage. 

The  complement  of  laborers  at  this  mine  for  the  present  is  sixteen,  but  on 
opening  the  southern  workings  they  will  employ  about  thirty-five.  Many  impor 
tant  and  valuable  improvements  have  been  made  during  the  past  year  on  this 
mine. 


MIDIAN  MINE  (Lea  &  Johnson's.) 

This  mine  is  beginning  to  show  its  true  character,  a  handsome  lode  and  much 
decomposed  at  the  bottom  of  the  nine  fathom  shaft.  At  the  bottom  of  this  shaft, 
two  short  levels  of  forty  feet  each  have  been  driven,  which  shows  a  power  of  three 
feet  in  the  lode  at  those  places.  On  the  south  end  of  the  vein  an  adit  has  been 
driven  sixty-six  feet,  at  the  end  of  which  the  lode  was  struck  with  a  power  of  four 
feet,  on  this  one  level  has  been  driven  of  fifty-six  feet.  The  vein  shows  a  fair 
prospect. 

The  company  have  erected  their  reduction  works  this  year,  but  were  not  in 
operation  at  the  time  I  visited  the  mine. 


89 


EUREKA  MINE. 

Situated  near  the  town  of  Sutter,  county  of  Amador.  The  whin  shaft  A,  has 
been  carried  from  seven  to  sixteen  fathoms  during  the  past  year.  The  adit  enters 
from  the  west,  and  is  about  one  hundred  feet  in  length.  The  upper  gallery  has 
been  carried  south  of  the  adit  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fourteen  feet,  and 
north  seventy-five  feet.  The  middle  gallery  is  thirty  feet  below  the  preceding, 
and  opens  at  the  whin  shaft,  being  driven  on  the  north  sixty  feet,  and  south 
eighty-five  feet.  The  level  at  the  bottom  of  the  sixteen  fathom  shaft,  is  one  hun 
dred  and  forty-four  feet  in  length.  The  tramroad  which  was  commenced  last  year 
has  been  completed  for  nine  hundred  feet,  and  is  now  within  some  eighty  feet  of 
the  lode.  The  rocks  are  a  graphic  slate,  very  firm,  and  often  charged  with  pyritic 
crystals. 

The  rich  thread  which  commenced  at  the  surface,  and  for  fifty  feet  in  depth, 
was  highly  piritiferous ;  is  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  main  shaft  much  more  pro 
ductive.  The  pyrites  have  ceased  entirely  at  this  depth,  and  the  hilo  is  composed 
of  metalic  gold,  not  disseminated,  but  forming  a  true  vein,  at  times  exceeding 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness.  The  vein  has  been  struck  in  an  adjoining 
mine,  about  one  thousand  feet  to  the  south.  This  is  the  only  instance  of  a  true 
vein  of  metalic  gold  having  been  found  in  this  State. 

The  compliment  of  laborers  in  this  vein  is  sixteen,  and  the  capacity  for  reduc 
tion  of  ores  about  ten  tons  per  day. 


STATISTICS  OF  MIXES. 

During  the  past  year  I  have  obtained  statistics  from  fourteen  of  the  gold  mines 
of  the  State.  These  consist  of  mines  located  in  the  counties  of  Shasta,  Nevada, 
El  Dorado,  and  Amador.  The  statistics  consist  of  all  general  and  incidental 
expenses,  the  number  of  operatives  employed  as  miners,  engineers,  tenders,  &c., 
with  their  wages  per  month ;  expenses  of  fuel,  teaming,  dead  work,  quantity  of 
ore  reduced  per  day,  average  product  of  the  same,  with  monthly  and  annual 
receipts.  These  statistics  were  taken  from  the  books  of  the  companies,  and  may, 
therefore,  be  entitled  to  confidence  as  a  fair  exhibit  of  the  character  of  this  branch 
of  mining. 

To  save  time,  and  at  the  same  moment  render  the  subject  more  comprehensive, 
the  aggregates  of  these  statistics  will  be  given  : 

Capital  invested,  $  793,000 

Net  receipts,          .....       1,483,000 
Expenditures,  ....  507,000 

In  addition  to  the  above  fourteen  mines,  there  are  thirty~others  which  have 
continued  in  operation  during  1854,  and  which,  from  the  known  investments  of 
the  preceding  year,  will  give  an  additional  investment  of  $334,000,  From  the 
net  proceeds  of  the  fourteen  mines  above  known,  and  their  expenses,  it  would  be 
safe  to  assume  that  the  thirty  not  heard  from,  have  yielded  fully  fifty  per  cent,  on 
their  capital  invested.  This,  it  will  be  seen,  is  much  below  the  proportion  of  the 
first.  This  then  would  give  for  the  total  number  of  mines,  an  amount  of  capital 
actively  employed,  as  follows : 
12 


90 

Investments,  -  -  -  $1,127,000 

Gross  receipts,  -        2,157,510 

Total  capital  and  products,  -       $3,284,510  for  1854. 

From  the  above  it  appears  that  the  aggregate  product  of  these  mines  is  about 
four  per  cent,  of  the  product  of  the  State,  as  far  as  the  latter  is  known  with  any 
degree  of  certainty. 

The  aggregate  number  of  persons  actively  employed  in  extracting  the  ores,  and 
in  reducing  the  same,  amounts  to  six  hundred  and  ten,  bearing  a  very  small  pro 
portion  to  the  great  mass  engaged  in  the  other  branch  of  mining  in  the  State. 

In  regard  to  the  above  figures,  I  would  state  that  they  represent  rather  the 
minimum  than  the  maximum  of  investments  and  receipts,  and  it  has  been  a  leading 
object  in  collating  these  statistics,  to  avoid  those  extravagant  estimates,  heretofore 
indulged  in,  with  relation  to  this  subject. 

The  above  list  of  additional  mines,  with  the  number  still  actively  engaged  from 
last  year,  swellii  the  aggregate  number  for  1855,  to  fifty-three  mines  in  actual 
operation,  and  a  net  increase  of  thirteen  from  the  preceding  year  over  all  that 
have  suspended  for  any  considerable  length  of  time. 


WATER  COMPANIES. 

The  table  below  will  give  an  approximate  idea  of  the  value  and  extent  of  our 
artificial  water  courses,  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  facilitating  mining  opera 
tions  The  valuation  in  the  aggregate  of  the  counties  are  placed  at  those  figures 
on  which  they  are  known  to  yield  a  profit  of  five  per  cent,  per  month.  The  esti 
mates  are  based  on  a  careful  examination  of  the  aggregate  receipts  of  eighty-three 
of  one  hundred  and  nine  companies  included,  and  our  list  comprises  but  seven  of 
the  principal  mining  counties  of  the  State.  Much  interesting  local  details  was 
obtained,  which  the  want  of  time  this  year  prevents  from  appearing  in  these  pages : 


TABLE. 

Counties.                              No.  Companies.  No.  Miles.  Valuation. 

Amador,                                                 15  129  $298,000 

Calaveras,           ....     12  165  397,000 

El  Dorado,      -      '  -         -         -         10  173  380,000 

Nevada, 27  210  412,000 

Placer,                                                  11  160  369,000 

Sierra,        -----     14  137  180,000 

Tuolumne,      -                  -                  20  185  446,000 

Total,     -         -         -         -    109  1,159  $2,480,000 


91 


LIST  OF  NEW  AND  RESUMED  MINES  EOR  1854-5, 

The  following  is  a  list  of  those  mines  that  have  gone  into  operation  within  the 
year  1854,  comprising  those  which  have  erected  works  for  the  reduction  of  their 
ores. 


Name  of  Mine. 

Crcesus,         ;"  •" "" 

Canada  Hill,    - 

Yan  Ammon,  *  -.- 

Orleans, 

Whitesides  &  Co., 

Rooky  Bar,      - 

Mount  George, 

Pacific, 

Maryland, 

Whitlock's, 

Bryant's, 

Fort  John, 

Badger's, 

Tuolumne, 

Orleans, 

Experimental, 

San  Juan, 

Burleigh, 


Location  and  County. 

Auburn,  Placer  county. 
Canada  Hill,  Nevada  county* 
Wolf  Creek,  Do. 

Grass  Valley,  Do. 

Wolf  Creek,  Do. 

Grass  Valley,  Do. 
Mount  George,  Do. 
Placerville,  El  Dorado  County. 

Do.  Do. 

Logtown,  Do. 

Do.  Do. 

Drytown,  Amidor  County. 
Sutter,  Do. 

Sonora,  Tuolumne  County. 

Do.  Do. 

Columbia,  Do. 

Mokelumne  river,  Calaveras  County. 
Do.  Do. 


Mines  omitted  in  report  of  last  year,  and  still  in  operation. 


Mount  Pleasant, 
Sierra  Nevada, 
Eagle, 
Pocahontas. 


Grizzly  Flat,  El  Dorado  County. 

Do.  Do. 

Do.  Do. 

Logtown,  Do. 


ALTITTDES, 

AS  OBSERVED  BY   ANEROID  BAROMETER. 


County. 

Locality. 

Position. 

Feet  above  tide 
level. 

Sacramento, 

Lexington  House, 

House, 

141 

El  Dorado, 

Smith's  Exchange, 

Natoma  Yalley, 

325 

Do. 

Salmon  Falls, 

Bridge, 

325 

Do. 

Indian  Springs, 

Top  of  Hill, 

1,827 

Do. 

Pilot  Hill, 

Base, 

1,288 

Do. 

Oak  Valley, 

Road, 

1,240 

Do. 

Greenwood  Yalley, 

Do. 

1,511 

Do. 

Georgetown, 

Main  street, 

2,484 

Do. 

Spanish  Flat, 

Hotel, 

2,444 

Do. 

Kelsey's  Flat, 

Road, 

2,486 

Do. 

Chile  Bar, 

South  Fork  American, 

980 

Do. 

Placerville, 

Main  street, 

2,058 

Do. 

Coloma, 

River, 

857 

Do. 

White  Rock, 

Top  of  Hill, 

2,300 

Monterey, 

Infusorial  beds, 

Do. 

310 

Shasta, 

Shasta  city, 

Main  street, 

912 

Do. 

Red  Bluffs, 

River, 

184 

Do. 

Mt  Washington  Mine, 

Mill, 

2,028 

Do. 

Mt.  Washington, 

French  Gulch, 

3,028 

Do. 

French  Town, 

Clear  Creek, 

1,754 

Do. 

Mountain  House, 

Do. 

2,000 

Do. 

Tower's  Bridge, 

Do. 

1,112 

Do. 

Mountain  House, 

McLaughlin's  Ranch, 

3,154 

Trinity, 

Brown's  Mountain, 

Summit, 

3,361 

Do. 

Trinity         Do. 

Do. 

3,980 

Do. 

Weaver  nlle, 

Main  street, 

2,116 

Do. 

Lewis's  Bridge, 

Trinity  river, 

1,668 

Los  Angeles, 

Los  Angeles  City, 

Main  street, 

257 

Santa  Barbara, 

Santa  Barbara, 

Mission, 

188 

INDEX 


Preface,     -  ------ 

Report,            ------  9 

Physical  Geography  Coast  Mountains,          -  9 

Geology  Coast  Mountains,          -             -             -             -  13 

Tertiary  Rocks  of  Coast  Mountains,  15 

Primitive  Kocks  of  Coast  Mountains,     -             -             -  17 

Volcanic  Rocks  of  Coast  Mountains,  19 

Geology  San  Bernardino  Mountains,        -  20 

Stratified  Rocks  of  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  24 

Infusorial  Group,  Extent  of  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  -  28 

Plains  Los  Angeles,             -----  29 

Artesian  Wells,                          -  31 

Soils  and  Productions  of  Los  Angeles,  36 

Mineral  Products  of  Los  Angeles,         -  40 

Country  north  American  River,  43 

Mineral  District  of  Upper  Sacramento  Valley,   -  45 

Geology  Northern  Coast  Mountains,  46 

Local  Geology  of  Northern  Coast  Mountains,     -         .    .  48 

Carboniferous  Limestone,  -             -             -             •  -             50 

Trinity  County,                          -  53 

Iridum  and  Osmium,           -             -             -             -  -             55 

Iron,    -                           -----  56 

Structure  of  Sacramento  Valley,      -             -             -  -             56 

Tertiary  Rocks  of  Sierra  Nevada,          -  63 

Placer  Mining  and  Ranges,  69 

Eastern  Range,               -             -          ~  *             -             -  73 

Middle  Placers,      ------  74 

Valley  Mines,  -                          ...            -  76 

Quartz  Veins,         -             -             -             -             -  -             81 

Quartz  Mining,              -  83 

Lafayette  and  Helvetia,  Grass  Valley,  Nevada  County,  -             86 

Osborn  Hill,  Grass  Valley,  Nevada  County,        -  87 

Empire  Mine,  Grass  Valley,  Nevada  County,  87 

Jones  &  Davis,  Amador,  Amadof  County,         -  87 

Keystone,  Amador,  Amador  County,  88 

Midian,  Amador,  Amador  Couny,          -  88 

Eureka,  Sutter,  Amador  County,     -  89 

Statistics  of  Mines,       -  89 

Water  Companies,  -----  -             90 

New  and  Resumed  Mines  for  1854,                     -            -  91 

Barometric  Altitudes,        -            -            -            -  -            $2 


NOTE. 


During  the  tour  for  1854  a  large  collection  of  Marine  Secondary  and  Tertiary 
Fossils  has  been  made,  with  a  variety  of  other  mineral  specimens,  and  as  soon  as 
arranged  will  be  deposited  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  with  those  of 
the  preceding  year. 

JOHN  B.  TRASK. 


- 


Document  No.  14. 


IN  SENATE.] 


[SESSION  OF  1856. 


REPORT 


ON  THE 


GEOLOGY 


OF 


EMBRACING   THE 


MINERAL  AND   AGRICULTURAL   RESOURCES 
OF  THOSE  SECTIONS; 


WITH 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  NORTHERN,  SOUTHERN  AND  MIDDLE  MINES, 


BY  DR.  JOHN  B.  TRASK, 


JAMES  ALLEN,  STATE  PRINTER 


COMMUNICATION  FROM   STATE  GEOLOGIST. 


SACRAMENTO,  March  1,  1856. 

To  His  Excellency,  J.  NEELY  JOHNSON, 

Governor  of  the  State  of  California  : 

MY  DEAR  SIR: 

Pursuant  to  an  Act  passed  in  May  last,  by  the  Senate  and  Assembly  of  the 
State  of  California,  authorizing  a  further  examination  of  the  unexplored  portions 
of  this  State,  and  relating  to  their  geological  peculiarities  and  ^economical  adap 
tations,  I  have  the  honor  through  you  to  submit  the  following  Report : 

Yours,  etc., 

JOHN  B.  TRASK. 


COMMUNICATION   FROM   GOVERNOR 


EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT,      ] 
Sacramento,  March  11,  1856. ) 

To  the  Senate  of  California: 

I  have  the  honor  herewith  to  transmit  the  Fourth  Annual  Report  of  Dr.  J. 
B.  Trask,  State  Geologist. 

Respectfully, 

Your  obdient  Servant, 

J.  NEELY  JOHNSON. 


PREFACE 


In  the  early  part  of  June  the  tour  for  1855  was  entered  upon,  and  continued 
uninterruptedly  till  the  middle  of  January,  1856,  comprising  a  period  of  nearly 
eight  months  of  actual  labor  in  the  field.  With  the  exception  of  eighteen  days, 
during  which  time  I  lay  sick  at  Shasta  City  with  the  malarious  disease  contracted 
in  the  Sacramento  Yalley  hi  the  discharge  of  my  duties,  I  have  been  engaged  in 
examining  the  mineral  and  agricultural  capacities  of  those  portions  of  the 
State  over  which  my  route  led  me,  and  noting  their  economical  adaptations. 
The  first  part  of  the  season  was  spent  in  the  line  of  counties  extending  from 
Marin  to  the  south  part  of  Mendocino,  and  included  between  the  coast  and  Sac 
ramento  River,  and  crossing  the  coast  chain,  in  a  diagonal  direction,  across  the 
south-east  and  east  part  of  the  County  of  Humboldt,  again  to  the  plains.  Sub 
sequent  to  this,  my  course  was  directed  to  the  northern  counties,  through  Shasta, 
a  portion1  of  Klamath  and  Siskiyou.  On  the  Upper  Trinity,  the  head  waters  of 
Salmon  and  Scott  Rivers,  much  of  my  time  was  spent  in  exploring  the  tolerably 
rugged  mountains  of  this  part  of  the  State. 

The  Salmon  was  axamined  as  far  down  as  the  junction  of  the  forks,  and  the 
Scott  River  was  followed  from  six  miles  above  the  junction  of  the  South  Fork, 
down  the  main  stream  for  twenty-five  miles.  After  leaving  the  Scott  River  I 
passed  down  the  Scott  Yalley,  and  over  the  low  ridges  which  divide  this  from  the 
Shasta  and  Yreka  Plains,  on  to  the  town  of  Yreka.  After  leaving  this  locality 
I  traveled  through  the  valley  of  Shasta  River  and  down  that  river  to  its  junction 
with  the  Klamath.  Leaving  this  stream  at  this  point,  on  account  of  the  diffi 
culty  of  traveling  along  its  course,  I  again  struck  it  at  two  points  below. 

During  this  part  of  the  season  the  Indian  troubles  that  existed  in  this  part  of 
the  State,  rendered  traveling  alone  a  dangerous  undertaking,  and  as  the  season 
was  considerably  advanced,  being  then  near  the  latter  part  of  August,  I  retraced 
my  steps,  and  reached  the  Sacramento  in  the  early  part  of  September.  I  then 
took  up  my  route  for  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  and  spent  the  months  of 
October  and  November  in  those  districts,  as  far  south  as  the  San  Bernardino. 

Returning  from  thence,  the  balance  of  the  season  was  spent  in  the  mining 
portions  of  the  State,  the  line  traveled  over  extending  from  the  branches  of  the 
Feather,  through  to  Mariposa,  at  which  time  I  closed  my  labors  in  the  field. 


REPORT. 


This  Report  will  embrace  a  portion  of  the  counties  lying  in  the  Coast  Moun- 
|  tains,  north  of  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  The  counties  included  extend  from 

Marin  to  near  the  northern  line  of  Siskiyou,  including  the  following :  Marin, 
I  Sonoma,  Napa,  Solano,  part  of  Mendocino  and  Humboldt,  with  portions  of  Shasta, 

Trinity,  the  east  part  of  Klamath  and  Siskiyou. 

I 

PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

The  above  portion  of  the  State  is  made  up,  for  the  most  part,  of  mountain 
ridges  having  precipitous  flanks,  with  deep,  rugged,  and  in  many  cases,  al  most 
impassable  canons.  The  ridges  of  the  mountains  preserve  a  great  degree  of  par 
allelism  for  the  greater  part  of  their  course,  or  until  after  passing  the  fortieth  par 
allel  of  north  latitude,  when  they  become  more  rugged,  elevated  and  confused, 
losing  the  peculiar  characteristics  noticeable  in  their  more  southern  parts. 

Between  these  ridges  lie  more  or  less  extended  valleys  at  different  elevations, 
some  of  which  are  of  considerable  magnitude  and  form  the  great  agricultural 
regions  of  this  portion  of  the  State.  Bounding  these  valleys  are  high,  rolling 
hills,  covered  with  the  indigenous  grasses  and  wild  oats  which  furnish  the  grazing 
lands  for  the  large  herds  that  abound  in  this  region.  On  the  line,  two  or  three 
large  bays  indent  the  coast,  the  more  interesting  of  which  is  that  of  Tourales. 

The  gap  in  the  mountains  which  admits  this  bay,  is  about  fifteen  miles  long, 
and  from  one  to  two  miles  in  breadth ;  on  the  south-west  point  Tourales  forms 
one  side,  extending  in  a  south-west  direction,  and  terminating  finally  in  the  high 
hills  running  northward  from  Touralpias,  and  on  the  opposite  side,  the  high  ridge 
which  attains  an  elevation  of  about  1,400  feet  as  it  approaches  the  hills  in  the 
vicinity  of  San  Rafael. 

Between  the  two  ridges,  and  near  the  bend  of  the  bay,  a  lower  gap  occurs 
which  readily  admits  the  strong  sea  winds  met  so  abruptly  in  passing  up  the 
straits  leading  from  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  to  that  of  San  Pablo.  This  pecu 
liarity  will  be  noticed  more  at  length  in  the  following  pages,  as  it  will  be  found 
to  exert  a  strong  influence  on  the  economical  adaptations  of  the  country  within  i  ts 
range.  From  Tourales,  northward,  until  arriving  at  Bodega,  the  country  is  made 
up  of  low  mountains ;  and  after  passing  this  point  the  mountains  assume  a  much 
more  rugged  and  elevated  character  to  Cape  Mendocino,  being  but  a  succession 
of  ridges  and  canons  all  the  way  for  that  distance,  with  small  and  fertile  valleys 
included. 

2 


10 

Eastward  from  Fort  Ross  few  persons  have  traveled,  and  fewer  still  will  proba 
bly  ever  attempt  to  describe  that  portion  of  the  mountain  ridges ;  it  is  frequented 
only  by  the  hunter,  its  rugged  character  rendering  it  unadapted  to  other  uses. 

Between  the  western  or  ocean  ridges  and  the  first  high  ranges  to  the  east,  lies 
the  extensive  valley  of  Petaluma,  the  length  of  which,  between  its  extremes  proper, 
is  forty  miles,  with  a  varying  width  from  eight  to  fourteen  miles.  Separated 
from  this  by  a  range  of  hills  is  the  valley  of  Russian  River,  an  elevated  fertile 
plain  of  about  seventeen  miles  in  extent,  and  which  ceases  at  the  great  bend  of 
that  stream  at  the  point  where  the  river  canons,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  twenty-five 
miles  from  the  coast. 

Near  the  head  of  Russian  River,  and  between  that  stream  and  the  waters  of 
Clear  Lake,  stands  the  high  truncated  summit  of  Mount  Helen ;  upon  its  summit, 
fastened  to  the  solid  rock,  is  a  plate  of  copper  bearing  a  Russian  inscription. 

North  and  west  of  the  mountain  extend  a  line  of  ruggedr  barren,  volcanic 
peaks  at  a  short  distance  from  the  edge  of  the  valley  which  skirts  the  lake  ;  and 
again,  upon  its  north-west  and  northern  end  the  same  wild  features  abound. 
These  mountains  are  covered,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  with  volcanic  glass,  most 
unmistakeable  evidence  of  their  recent  origin. 

This  lake,  situated  at  a  considerable  elevation  in  these  mountains,  is  not  far 
from  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  with  a  variable  breadth  of  from  one  to  seven  or 
nine  miles.  The  valley  forming  its  shores  is  well  timbered  and  possesses  high 
productive  capacities  if  properly  tilled.  This  lake  furnishes  the  principal  water 
for  Cache  and  Puta  Creeks,  which  reaches  the  Sacramento  through  tte  tule 
marshes  that  border  that  stream  to  the  south-east  of  where  those  streams  emerge 
from  the  mountains. 

Traveling  in  a  northerly  direction  from  the  north  border  of  this  sheet  of  water, 
you  cross  two  ridges  giving  rise  to  several  streams  that  flow  into  the  Sacramento 
for  forty  miles  beyond,  when  an  oblique  line  of  ridges  commence,  bearing  a  more 
westerly  direction  than  those  of  the  preceding  portions  of  the.  mountains  spoken 
of,  and  whose  western  flanks  form  the  shed,  furnishing  the  southern  tributaries 
of  the  South  Trinity  and  Lower  Klamath  with  part  of  their  waters,  which  are 
thus  discharged  directly  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  South  of  the  preceding,  there 
are  several  other  streams  furnished  from  these  mountains,  which  discharge  their 
waters  at  various  points  along  the  line  of  the  coast. 

From  the  head  of  Stone  Creek  I  reached  the  valley  sections  of  the  Sacramento, 
and  arriving  at  Shasta,  again  went  over  a  portion  of  the  route  of  the  preceding 
year,  to  the  base  of  that  part  of  the  Coast  Mountains  known  as  the  Trinity 
Mountains,  and  crossed  the  latter  from  the  waters  of  Clear  Creek  about  eighteen 
miles  above  the  point  crossed  in  1854.  These  mountains  maintain  an  average 
hight  for  their  entire  length  of  nearly  or  quite  four  thousand  feet  and  bear  a 
westerly  bend  ;  the  distance  from  base  to  base  being  about  twelve  miles.  I 
have  crossed  this  ridge  at  four  different  points,  but  never  at  a  less  distance  than 
nine  miles.  They  divide  the  waters  of  the  Trinity  and  Clear  Creeks ;  the  one 
flowing  into  the  Pacific  by  the  Klamath,  and  the  latter  into  the  same  ocean  by 
the  Sacramento.  After  crossing  these  mountains  and  the  streams  at  their  base, 
the  route  lies  for  the  most  part  on  or  near  the  river.  This  portion  of  the  stream 
is  Steward's  Fork,  (improperly  called  the  "  North  Fork,"  the  North  Fork  proper 
being  situated  some  thirty  miles  below  Gribb's  Ferry,)  and  may  be  followed  with 
ease  nearly  to  its  sources,  being  fordable  at  short  distances  for  its  entire  length. 

The  ridge  dividing  the  Trinity  from  the  Salmon  is  an  elevated,  rough  and 
rocky  group  of  jagged  peaks,  having  an  average  hight  of  about  five  thousand 
feet.  On  their  southern  slope'there  is  nothing  of  interest,  but  on  the  northern 
declivities  there  are  to  be  found  the  local  drift  deposits,  which  are  observable  on 
the  flanks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 


11 

The  route  usually  followed  leads  to  the  east  of  these  mountains  at  a  distance 
of  eight  miles,  arfd  up  the  canons  of  Steward's  Fork  to  the  base  of  Scott's 
Mountain,  which  is  bufo  a  spur  of  the  Salmon  Mountains,  and  divides  the  waters 
of  the  Trinity,  Salmon  and  Scott's  Rivers  at  this  particular  point. 

The  distance  across  the  Scott's  Mountain  is  about  eight  miles,  though  usually 
estimated  much  higher  than  this  amount,  from  the  difficulty  of  making  passage 
and  the  time  required  in  consequence  of  the  rocky  character  of  the  trail. 

Immediately  on  reaching  the  base  of  this  mountain  to  the  north,  you  enter  the 
head  of  Scott's  Valley  near  Callahan's  Ranch.  At  this  point  the  South  Fork 
of  the  Scott  joins  the  main  stream,  which  winds  through  this  broad  plain  on  the 
western  side  and  its  center,  for  twenty-eight  miles,  or  to  a  point  nearly  opposite 
Fort  Jones.  From  there  the  stream  assumes  a  more  westerly  turn  and  joins  the 
Klamath  some  forty  miles  from  the  above  named  point. 

At  a  short  distance  beyond  the  Fort  the  road  down  the  valley  turns  short  to 
the  right  and  -follows  this  northerly  course  for  about  twenty  miles  all  the  way 
on  the  level  of  the  plain.  At  this  point  a  low  mountain  intervenes,  which 
separates  the  Scott's  River  Yalley  from  that  of  the  valley  of  the  Shasta  River, 
lying  to  the  east,  and  that  of  the  smaller  valley  of  Yreka  about  seven  miles  to 
the  north  of  its  base.  The  latter  valley  is  but  a  branch  of  the  valley  of  Shasta 
River  and  has  received  its  name  from  the  building  of  the  city  near  its  center. 

Among  the  higher  southern  ridges  of  those  mountains  which  divide  the  two 
large  valleys  above  noted,  the  Shasta  River  has  its  rise,  and  not  as  has  generally 
been  supposed  and  stated,  in  the  mountains  of  Shasta  Peak.  This  mountain  and 
adjacent  hills  furnish  the  waters  at  the  sources  of  the  Sacramento  on  the  south, 
east  and  west,  and  on  its  northern  flank  throws  off  two  of  the  southern  tributa 
ries  of  the  Klamath.  I  think  that  at  least  six-tenths  of  the  waters  derived  from 
Mount  Shasta,  find  their  way  to  the  ocean  by  the  Sacramento,  and  this  mountain 
furnishes  the  principal,  and  in  fact  the  sources  of  that  stream. 

This,  it  will  be  seen,  modifies  our  views  much  respecting  the  geographical  fea 
tures  and  positions  of  this  part  of  the  State,  and  teaches  us  the  fact  that  the 
latter  river  belongs  strictly  to  the  Coast  Mountains,  and  not  to  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
as  heretofore  represented. 

I  am  thus  particular  in  this  respect,  for  the  reason  that  so  many  palpable 
errors  have  crept  into  our  local  geography,  that  the  utmost  disorder  at  present 
prevails,  and  thus  far  this  matter  seems  governed  by  one  general  law,  viz  :  the 
law  of  general  confusion  only.  After  crossing  the  Shasta  River,  we  find  little 
else  than  rugged  hills,  until  arriving  at  the  Klamath,  and  here  those  hills  assume, 
and  pass  into  thefange  known  as  the  Siskiyou  Mountains,  which  continue  nearly 
to  the  coast,  the  Klamath  winding  its  course  at  their  southern  base.  To  speak 
of  these  mountains  would  be  but  a  reiteration  of  what  has  been  said  of  others 
belonging  to  the  coast  mountains,  and  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  more  relating  to 
them  until  we  come  to  consider  their  geological  structure,  and  influences  on  the 
climate  of  the  surrounding  country. 

GEOLOGICAL  STRUCTURE  OF  COAST  MOUNTAINS  NORTH  OF 
THE  BAY  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

The  geological  structure  of  this  portion  of  the  State  has  been  treated  of  to 
soiie  extent,  but  there  are  additional  points  relating  thereto  that  require  some 
attention.  The  district  of  country  from  the  northern  shores  of  the  Gate  to  the 
head  of  the  Arroya  San  Antonio,  have  heretofore  been  treated  of  by  others; 
that  portion  will  therefore  be  passed  over  in  order  to  avoid  repetition.  Our 
present  examination  will  commence  near  the  head  of  the  above  arroya,  and  con 
tinue  through  those  parts  of  the  mountains  not  before  noticed. 


12 


COUNTY   OF    SONOMA. 

From  the  known  character  of  the  rocks,  both  primitive  and  sedimentary,  th* 
abound  along  the  shores  of  our  large  bays,  and  from  thence  extend  to  some  dis 
tance  into  the  interior,  it  might  at  first  be  thought  that  an  easy  inference  could 
be  drawn  of  the  character  of  the  country  to  the  north-west — having  so  many  of 
the  general  external  features  that  appear  in  preceding  districts — but  such  is  not 
the  fact,  for  soon  after  leaving  the  coast  line  of  the  bays,  we  enter  a  widely  dif 
ferent  character  of  rocks  from  those  found  near  them  on  the  head  of  the  San 
Antonio,  the  serpentine  and  other  primitive  rocks  which  are  found  from  this 
point  southward,  cease.  The  country  from  thence  northward,  to  the  town  of 
Petaluma,  assumes  a  new  aspect,  the  rocks  changing  from  the  primitive  groups 
to  those  of  recently  volcanic  origin.  So  far  as  my  examinations  extended,  these 
latter  did  not  in  any  case  present  the  slightest  trace  of  any  one  of  the  sedimen 
tary  rocks,  excepting  the  local  drifts. 

The  entire  group  which  underlies  this  part  of  the  country  is  of  a  basaltic  char 
acter  exclusively,  having  in  some  cases  the  massive  form,  in  others  again  the  true 
columnar  structure.  At  the  distance  of  about  one  mile  westward  of  the  town 
of  Petaluma  the  latter  characteristic  may  be  conveniently  examined,  for  at  this 
point  the  basaltic  columns  are  being  quarried  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  build 
ings  at  this  flourishing  place.  At  this  locality  the  prisms  are  usually  about  six 
feet  in  length  each,  and  regularly  pentagonal  in  form,  standing  upright,  and  on 
a  prism  of  equal  diameter  in  breadth.  This  enables  them  to  be  thrown  down 
easily,  after  which  they  are  cut  into  sections  of  the  required  thickness",  and  used 
for  the  purpose  above  named. 

This  group  of  rocks  extend  in  a  westerly  direction,  to  within  three  or  four 
miles  of  the  coast,  but  are  not  found  upon  the  shore  line,  with  the  exception  of 
one  instance,  and  this  occurs  about  six  miles  south-east  of  Lopes  Embarcadero, 
on  Tomales  Bay. 

In  a  northerly  direction  and  among  the  high  hills  skirting  the  valley  of  Peta 
luma,  these  rocks  are  traceable  for  thirty  or  forty  miles,  after  which  they  give 
place  to  the  primitive  rocks  again,  which  continue  on  the  ridge  fronting  the 
coast  for  fifty  miles  further  on  towards  Mendocino. 

To  localize  more  particularly  the  boundaries  of  the  volcanic  rocks  westward 
from  Petaluma,  it  will  be  necessary  to  state,  that  near  the  crossing  of  the  Estero 
Americano,  on  the  Bodega  Road,  the  first  out-cross  of  the  primitive  series  is  found, 
surmounted  by  the  same  fossiliferous  rocks  as  those  of  Monte  Diablo.  This  is  the 
first  instance  in  which  the  latter  rocks  are  met  with  on  this  ifne  of  travel.  It  is 
interesting  to  observe  the  regularity  that  presents  itself  in  these  particulars,  for 
this  deposit  of  marine  fossils  fixes  the  relative  age  of  these  distant  points,  and 
shows  us  more  plainly  their  cotemporaneous  origin.  The  primitive  rocks  and  the 
fossiliferous  group  resting  upon  them  are  tilted  to  the  west,  and  at  the  contact  of 
the  volcanic  and  primitive  groups  the  most  unmistakable  evidences  of  change  in 
structure  is  apparent. 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  may  not  be  amiss  in  reasoning  upon  this  subject,  and 
in  considering  the  relative  ages  of  plutonic  rocks,  not  to  place  too  strong  a  stress 
on  more  isolated  facts,  which  might  lead  us  to  suppose  that  a  primitive  group  may 
be  of  more  recent  age  than  those  of  known  modern  deposits. 

The  basaltic  rocks  of  this  district  are  clearly  post-tertiary,  but  I  am  inclined  to 
the  belief  that  the  statements  made,  of  the  primitive  rocks  of  San  Francisco  being 
of  that  age,  will  admit  of  some  argument,  though  I  do  not  design  to  discuss  that 
question  in  this  place. 

From  Tomales  Point  (which  is  of  granite),  southward,  and  from  the  same  point 


Ib 

northward,  the  coast  line  of  mountains  to  Fort  Ross  are  of  the  same  primitive 
character,  being  made  up  of  rocks  of  the  granite  series,  imposed  upon  which  are 
those  of  sedimentary  origin. 

The  latter  class  consists  for  the  most  part%f  a  coarse  conglomerate,  alternated 
at  distant  intervals  with  small  beds  of  the  coarse  brown  and  yellowish  sandstone 
incident  to  almost  every  other  part  of  the  coast  line  from  one  extreme  of  the  State 
to  the  other.  The  latter  beds  contain  marine  mollusca  in  the  fossil  state,  but  none 
were  observed  in  the  conglomerates  which  lie  superior  to  them.  At  Bodega  Head 
several  beds  of  these  conglomerates  are  found ;  and  the  point  forming  the  reef  at 
this  place  is  of  the  same  character. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  this  conglomerate  is  auriferous ;  and  subsequent 
to  my  visit  to  these  localities  gold  was  found  in  small  quantities  among  the  debris 
of  these  rocks.  At  Point  Tomales  on  the  west  shore  of  the  bay,  gold  also  abounds, 
but  in  small  quantity.  It  is  found  about  one  mile  from  the  northern  end  of  the 
point,  near  the  settlements  on  that  shore. 

Leaving  the  coast  line  and  passing  into  the  interior,  we  find  the  geological  char 
acter  of  the  country  changing  in  a  material  degree.  At  the  distance  of  twenty 
miles  from  the  coast  and  east  of  Fort  Ross,  the  volcanic  rocks  again  make  their 
appearance,  and  continue  northward  and  eastward  almost  uninterrupted  for  sixty 
or  seventy  miles.  Occasionally  an  isolated  group  of  some  of  the  primitive  series 
is  met  with  in  these  ranges,  and  when  this  is  the  case  more  or  less  of  the  marine 
tertiaries  accompany  them.  All  that  were  met  with  have  apparently  the  same 
relative  age  as  those  of  the  Monte  Diablo  groups. 

Aniong  the  mountains  on  the  south-west  and  west  of  Clear  Lake,  there  are  large 
masses  of  scorial  associated  with  alsidian,  (volcanic  glass),  which  is  spread  broad 
cast  among  these  hills,  thrown  out  from  recent  craters,  often  met  with  in  this  part 
of  the  State. 

Among  the  basalts  of  the  country  south  and  about  the  Petaluma  district,  no 
scoria  was  found  in  place  that  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  ejected  in  the 
vicinity,  but  a  plentiful  supply  is  found  upon  the  surface,  all  of  which  are  evidently 
transported  masses  from  the  more  northern  sections. 

At  first  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  account  for  these  features  in  the  lower  lands 
of  this  plain,  as  there  seemed  no  adequate  cause  for  producing  so  extensive  a  local 
deposit,  as  no  river  runs  through  this  valley  at  the  present  time.  In  some  exam 
inations  made  in  the  earth  thrown  from  a  well  on  the  premises  of  Judge  Thom 
son,  the  secret  was  in  some  measure  explained;  for  here  the  shells  of  several  fresh 
water  molluscas  of  the  genus  unio,  and  parts  of  a  crustacean,  (probably  astacus), 
were  found  at  the  depth  of  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  below  the  surface. 

On  subsequent  examination  of  the  plain,  an  old  river  bed  was  traced  for  nearly 
its  entire  length,  having  two  distinct  terraces  on  each  side.  This  ancient  bed  was 
followed  to  within  about  two  miles  of  the  present  bed  of  Russian  River,  from 
which  it  is  divided  by  a  very  low  range  of  hills,  and  here  the  former  bed  is 
entirely  effaced. 

Near  this  point,  (which  is  called  Russian  River  Valley,)  the  Russian  River 
Canons  suddenly  breaks  through  the  primitive  rocks  in  a  broad  chasm,  the  bend 
at  this  place  forming  almost  three  sides  of  a  parallelogram. 

I  have  no  doubt  from  the  present  position  of  the  stream  that  it  has  been  divert 
ed  from  its  course,  which  was  originally  through  the  great  valley  of  the  south, 
and  forced  into  its  present  bed  during  those  violent  convulsions  that,  at  a  compar 
atively  recent  period,  must  have  disturbed  this  entire  section.  A  stream  of  the 
capacity  of  the  above  would  be  amply  sufficient  to  account  for  the  local  drift  of 
this  plain,  and  which  cannot  be  well  explained  on  any  other  hypothesis. 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  Petaluma  Valley,  a  range  or  spur  of  low  moun 
tains  separates  the  former  from  the  Valley  of  Sonoma.  These  mountains  are  made 


14 

up  of  fhe  same  materials  as  those  to  the  west,  but  at  their  southern  extremity 
there  is  a  small  out-crop  of  the  primitive  rocks. 

These  two  valleys  unite  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Guilicus,  and  are,  in  fact,  but 
one  plain,  being  divided  into  two  branches  by  the  group  of  low  mountains  above 
alluded  to. 

On  both  flanks  of  the  ridge  in  the  middle  of  this  plain,  and  at  elevations  vary 
ing  from  two  to  five  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  are  to  be  found  beds  of  an 
infusorial  deposit  in  a  fossil  state,  of  considerable  thickness.  These  beds  are 
made  up  of  the  siliceous  coverings  of  the  Diatomacne  principally.  On  the  west 
flank  of  the  mountain  north  of  Santa  Rosa,  they  extend  for  a  distance  of  twelve 
miles,  making  the  entire  length  of  these  deposits  on  this  line  of  ridges  about 
twenty-eight  miles. 

Crossing  a  similar  ridge  from  Sonoma  to  Napa  Valley,  which  is  about  twelve 
miles  across,  the  same  deposits  are  met  with  on  both  flanks  of  the  mountain 
skirting  the  Napa  Valley,  and  they  extend  in  an  easterly  direction  across  the 
southern  spurs  of  the  range  to  the  declivities  of  the  Coast  Mountains,  forming 
the  west  boundaries  of  the  Sacramento  Plains,  and  as  far  north  on  that  flank  as 
Puta  Creek,  beyond  which  point  I  have,  as  yet,  been  unable  to  trace  them. 

This  deposit  bears  the  common  name  of  "  Chalk  Rock  "  throughout  this  part 
of  the  country.  In  all  the  points  at  which  an  opportunity  has  offered  for  exami 
nation,  these  fossil  deposits  were  found  reposmg  on  the  primitive  series,  associated 
or  unassociated  with  others  of  the  sedimentary  group ;  in  some  cases  the  latter 
were  filled  with  other  marine  fossils,  but  in  most  instances  they  were  destitute  of 
organic  remains.  "••Nfcij- 


MINERAL  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  ROCKS  OF  THE  COAST 

MOUNTAINS. 

Among  the  primitive  rocks  of  the  above  district  the  granite  series  was  most 
predominant.  These  consisted  of  coarse  granite,  mica,  schists,  sienites,  with  occa 
sional  patches  of  the  serpentine  rocks.  The  granites  w'ere  mostly  micaceous,  and 
the  seams  often  contained  epidote. 

It  was  a  frequent  occurrence  to  find  small  veins  of  quartz  running  through  the 
series  in  almost  every  part  of  it.  The  drift  derived  from  the  breaking  down  of 
this  series,  contains  a  large  proportion  of  this  material,  sufficient  to  attract  atten 
tion  in  passing  over  almost  any  part  of  these  plains. 

Magnetic  sand  was  observed  in  most  of  the  small  streams,  and  the  sulphuret  of 
iron  in  a  few  localities.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  Sulphur  Springs  at  the  head  of 
Napa  Valley,  and  in  the  trappean  rocks  of  that  district,  this  latter  mineral  is  abun 
dant.  It  is  owing  to  the  presence  of  this  mineral  at  these  springs  that  they  de 
rive  their  sulphurous  odor. 


SOILS  OF  PETALUMA  VALLEY. 

From  the  character  of  the  rocks  above  described,  and  which  compose  the 
mountains  that  surround  this  and  the  adjoining  valleys,  it  will  be  easy  to  infer  the 
character  of  a  soil  derived  from  such  materials. 

Accordingly,  we  find  on  most  of  the  lower  bottoms,  a  compost,  it  might  almost 
be  said,  that  in  itself  would  be  adequate  to  the  production  of  almost  any  crop  that 
might  be  placed  upon  it.  In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  recent  volcanic  rocks 
the  soil  is  soft  and  mellow,  being  much  superior  to  that  on  the  bottom  lands  of 
the  plain.  On  these  bottom  lands  there  is  an  intimate  mixture  of  the  arenaceous 


15 

materials  found  upon  the  hills  to  the  north,  which  causes  the  texture  of  the  soil  to 
become  much  lighter  and  more  susceptible  to  the  influences  of  heat  which  super 
vene  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  seasons. 

On  the  more  elevated  portions  of  this  plain  the  soil  is  made  up  of  a  coarser  ma 
terial  with  *a  strong  admixture  of  small  gravel,  which  gives  the  impression  of 
harshness  and  sterility  to  some  extent,  but  a  closer  examination  develops  the  fact 
that  these  grounds  are  equally  capable  of  production  with  those  of  the  bottoms. 

All  portions  of  this  plain  and  its  branches  are  not  susceptible  of  cultivation  to 
the  same  extent  as  the  above,  for  the  reason,  that  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lateral 
plains  there  are  to  be  found  beds  of  coarse,  arenaceous  rocks  resting  on  patches 
of  the  granite,  which  have  played  an  important  part  in  making  up  the  soils  of 
those  districts.  •  Although  the  material  composing  these,  grounds  is  sufficiently 
comminuted  for  ordinary  purposes  of  agriculture,  still  they  will  prove  unprofitable 
for  cropping,  from  the  uncertainty  to  which  they  will  always  be  liable,  resulting 
from  a  deficiency  in  the  elements  necessary  to  produce  the  cereals  in  particular. 
In  grounds  of  this  character,  two  years  has  been  sufficient  to  render  these  lands 
totally  unadapted  to  the  production  of  wheat,  though  barley  and  oats  thrive  fairly 
upon  them  still ;  this  results  evidently  from  a  deficiency  of  the  phosphates  and 
lime,  which  are  almost  imperceptible  in  their  productions  or  the  soils  themselves. 
I  have  conversed  with  farmers  in  this  and  the  adjoining  valleys,  and  found  a  very 
erroneous  opinion  existing  as  to  the  character  of  the  soil  and  the  presence  of  lime 
in  the  adjoining  hills.  The  white,  siliceous  deposit  of  the  infusoria  was  mistaken 
for  calcareous'  rocks,  arising  probably  from  the  name  of  chalk  being  ordinarily 
applied  to  this  material. 

That  the  grounds  forming  the  main  body  of  the  Petaluma  Valley  proper  are, 
for  the  most  part,  well  adapted  to  the  produce  of  wheat,  barley  and  oats,  still  it  is, 
in  my  opinion,  very  questionable  if  these  crops  can  succeed  well  in  this  district, 
those  of  oats  and  wheat  more  particularly.  The  reason  of  this  is  most  obvious, 
and  is  dependent  on  climatic  influences  entirely. 

One  of  the  great  causes  operating  to  induce  a  loss  in  this  species  of  cropping 
b|jng  the  universality  of  the  rust,  to  which  they  must  be  constantly  liable — 
according  to  our  present  information  respecting  the  causes  of  its  appearance.  It 
is  a  matter  of  no  small  moment  with  the  agriculturalist  of  this  part  of  the  State 
to  determine  this  matter  satisfactorily  and  weigh  all  the  evidences  pertaining  to 
this  point ;  and  if  he  proceeds  otherwise  he  incurs  the  risk  of  a  loss  of  his  labor 
and  expenses  in  the  introduction  of  crops.  During  the  past  year  an  extended 
range  of  the  agricultural  portions  of  this  part  of  the  State  was  traveled  over  by 
myself  and  nearly  all  the  peculiarities  relating  to  the  grain  crops  noted  ;  and 
I  may  state  it  as  a  general  fact,  that  all  the  wheat,  and  of  whatever  variety, 
suffered  almost  total  destruction  from  the  supervention  of  the  rust  at  the  period 
of  the  milk,  in  this  and  the  adjoining  valleys  to  the  east,  as  far  as  the  Bucca  / 
Valley,  that  came  within  the  range  of  the  cool  winds  of  the  ocean.  A  field  that  / 
was  healthy  to-day  would  in  forty-eight  hours  become  valueless,  so  sudden  were 
the  effects  produced  upon  these  crops. 

The  wheat  alone  is  not  the  only  thing  that  suffers,  for  we  find  that  the  wild 
oats  that  cover  the  hills  is  affected  in  a  like  degree,  and  to  that  extent  that 
cattle  refuse  to  feed  upon  it.  I  heard  of  but  four  instances  in  which  the  culti 
vated  oat  was  affected. 

This,  however,  is  sufficient  to  show  that  there  is  an  uncertainty  existing  touch 
ing  these  two  grains,  that  should  demand  the  careful  attention  of  the  farmer 
situated  in  these  sections. 

On  a  preceding  page  of  this  Report  I  stated,  under  the  head  of  "  Physica\ 
Geography,"  that  the  position  of  the  mountains  forming  the  Coast  Range  woulf 
be  considered  again  in  relation  to  this  subject. 


16 

The  trend  of  the  ridges  extending  from  the  interior  to  the  Coast  Line  is  usually 
about  north-west,  and  this  position  is  maintained  from  Fort  Ross  to  PuntaReys. 

The  winds  that  prevail  on  the  coast  during  the  summer  and  spring  months  are 
in  nearly  the  same  direction,  and  thfts  finds  a  long  line  of  direct  avenues  whereby 
it  reaches  the  interior  loaded  with  moisture  from  the  ocean,  appearing,  as  it 
enters  the  interior  through  these  gaps,  in  the  form  of  dense,  cold  fogs. 

It  is  from  this  cause  that  we  experience  the  strong  winds  on  the  Bay  of  San 
Pablo  in  the  e^ning,  similar  to  those  of  San  Francisco  at  the  same  time. 

In  the  Valley  of  Petaluma  these  winds  also  prevail,  reaching  the  lower  part  of 
the  valley  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  In  the  Valley  of  Russian  River 
I  find  a  more  westerly  wind  prevailing,  which  enters  that  section  through  the 
canon  of  that  stream.  Thus,  it  is  evident  that  plains  of  this  section,  and  situa 
ted  in  the  depression  of  these  mountains,  must  always  be  subjected  to  the  influ 
ences  of  these  breezes  in  almost  every  part  of  them. 

Our  present  knowledge  relating  to  the  peculiar  causes  inducing  the  rust  in 
wheat,  leads  us  to  the  conclusion  that  the  crop  on  these  plains  must  (from  the 
above  circumstances,  and  the  relative  position  of  the  valley,)  attach  to  itself 
that  degree  of  uncertainty  in  its  ultimate  product  as  to  render  its  introduction  a 
hazardous  enterprise. 

Thus  far,  barley  and  root  crops  have  succeeded  without  injury,  and  so  far  as 
quantity  in  product  is  concerned,  have  netted  a  large  return ;  and  it  is  to  this 
variety  of  cropping,  that  I  consider  the  district  better  adapted  than  to  any  other. 
Were  these  deficiencies  in  the  soil,  they  could  easily  be  remedied  by  artificial 
means,  but  where  climatic  influences  are  the  causes  of  discrepant  and  unremuner- 
ative  results,  it  is  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  control  them.  As  a  grazing  coun 
try,  this  entire  section  has  no  superior  on  this  coast,  and  its  advantages  in  this 
particular  have  not  been  overlooked  by  many  residing  here.  In  fact,  this  entire 
range  of  valleys  and  hills,  from  the  shore  line  to  the  western  edge  of  the  Sacra 
mento  Valley,  is  the  great  dairy  of  California.  Some  idea  of  this  may  be  gained 
from  the  fact,  that  upwards  of  fifty  tons  of  butter  alone  was  shipped  from  the 
town  of  Petaluma  during  1855,  and  a  much  larger  amount  of  cheese  from  |}ie 
same  locality — all  of  which  is  used  in  the  market  of  Sa«  Francisco. 

The  advantages  of  this  country  for  dairy  purposes  consists  in  the  fact,  that 
from  the  coast  line,  eastward,  the  amount  of  moisture  absorbed  from  the  ocean 
fogs  as  they  pass  over  the  grounds,  is  sufficient  to  keep  plants  and  grasses,  (of 
which  there  is  abundance,)  in  a  fresh  and  green  state,  during  the  greater  portion 
of  the  summer  months ;  while  the  interior,  during  the  same  periods,  are  parched 
and  dried  up  almost  entirely. 

I  would  take  this  opportunity  of  suggesting  to  the  people  of  this  section  of  the 
State,  the  culture  of  the  honey  bee.  It  is  the  only  portion  with  which  I  am 
acquainted  that  holds  out  the  slightest  hope  that  that  insect  can  be  reared  with 
advantage  and  profit ;  for,  it  is  only  on  the  shore  districts  of  this  country  that 
flowers  are  abundant  during  the  summer  season. 

Thus  far  the  production  of  honey,  by  the  natural  process  of  manufacture,  has 
failed  in  this  State,  but  this  portion  of  it  certainly  ofl'ers  the  strongest  induce 
ments  to  attempt  the  production  of  this  article  as  a  source  of  profit.  I  think 
that  the  bee  might  be  sustained  for  forty  miles  along  this  coast  line. 


PLAIN,  WEST  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO  RIVER. 

After  leaving  the  Sonoma  and  Napa  Districts  on  an  easterly  line  of  travel, 
you  enter  immediately  on  the  southern  end  of  the  Sacramento  Valley,  west  of 
the  river.  The  Bacca  Plain  may  properly  be  considered  the  commencement  of 
the  valley  at  this  point. 

The  soil  along  this  line  of  country  northward,  to  the  County  of  Colusi,  differs 
somewhat  from  that  of  the  coast  valleys  preceding.  They  are  made  up  for  the 
most  part  of  the  debris  of  the  trappean  and  other  primitive  rocks,  which  as  a 
general  rule,  present  but  few  traces  of  the  serpentine  rocks  or  its  derivatives. 
Syenites  and  green  stone,  the  equivalents  of  the  eastern  mountain  range,  are 
found  here. 

The  grounds  are  soft  and  mellow,  easily  tilled,  and  highly  productive  in  char 
acter.  It  is  evident,  however,  that  a  continued  succession  of  the  wheat  crop 
alone  in  these  lands,  must  in  a  few  years  render  them  unprofitable  for  this  cul 
ture,  for  the  reason  that  the  materials  from  which  the  soils  have  been  derived  do 
not  contain  those  elements  in  sufficient  amount  to  insure  with  certainty  a  long 
series  of  cropping  with  this  grain.  The  calcareous  and  phosphatic  minerals  are 
limited  in  quantity,  which,  as  every  informed  farmer  must  know,  will  sooner  or 
later  seriously  impoverish  those  lands,  unless  attended  to  early,  and  their  grounds 
kept  in  condition,  either  by  artificial  application  of  the  materials  thus  annually 
exhausted,  or  an  intermission  of  the  barley  and  oats,  which  will  enable  them  to 
recover  by  a  natural,  and  perhaps  more  profitable  process. 

These  remarks  will  apply  to  the  entire  range  of  country  included  between 
Puta  Creek  on  the  south,  and  Stony  Creek  on  the  north.  It  would  be  well  for 
agriculturalists  in  this  part  of  the  State,  (those  at  least  who  are  permanently 
located  there,)  to  consider  this  subject  well,  as  a  heavy  interest,  in  a  pecuniary 
point  of  view,  attaches  itself  to  this  matter. 

This  part  of  the  State  (and  also  that  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  included 
within  the  same  parallels,)  must  become  the  main  wheat  producing  districts  of 
California.  Other  portions  of  the  valley  sections,  though  in  many  instances 
possessing  a  soil  of  superior  fertility,  cannot  be  relied  upon  with  certainty  for  the 
production  of  this  crop,  although  those  districts  will  produce  both  wheat  and 
barley  beyond  any  question  whatever.  The  reason  of  this  is  obvious,  and  it 
needs  but  a  glance  at  the  geographical  positions  of  each  to  readily  perceive  why 
this  is  so.  The  relative  position  of  the  coast  valleys  and  plains  to  the  ocean,  is 
such  that  the  moist  winds  of  the  latter,  with  the  chilling  coldness  that  usually 
attend  them  must,  and  will,  exert  a  pernicious  influence  on  the  wheat  in  any  por 
tion  of  them. 

The  experience  of  rigid  investigation  for  many  years  past  in  other  countries, 
lead  us  to  the  above  conclusions,  and  we  should  certainly  profit  by  what  that 
practical  experience  has  demonstrated. 

Had  we  a  series  of  meteorological  observations  instituted  along  our  valley  sec 
tions,  situated  in  the  Coast  Mountains,  and  upon  our  great  interior  plains,  we 
should  not  be  left  to  fall  back  upon  so  many  of  those  vague  surmises  that  at  the 
present  time  forms  not  only  the  basis  of  opinion,  but  of  subsequent  action  also, 
relating  to  the  constant  discrepancies  that  arise  touching  the  matter  of  agricul 
ture  in  all  its  varied  departments.  But  so  long  as  the  present  system  exists,  we 
must  expect  to  suffer  from  what  we  now  look  upon  as  unaccountable  results,  when 
the  loss  of  a  crop  (save  in  some  half  a  dozen  counties,)  is  found  to  occur.  When 
these  crops  are  successful,  ample  reasons  are  found  to  account  for  the  fact  why 
tnuy  arc  so,  the  fertility  of  the  soil  is  made  to  shoulder  and  support  the  weighty 
fabric,  as  though  no  other  agent  had  even  the  shadow  of  an  existence  in  such 

3 


18 

results.  „  But  the  succeeding  year  this  same  crop  is  a  total  loss,  and  thousands  of 
our  laboring  farmers  are  bankrupted  as  the  consequence.  What,  then,  is  the 
reply  ?  An  hundred  wild  vagaries  are  put  forth  to  shelter  presumptuous  igno 
rance,  which  finally  falls  back  on  the  principles  adopted  by  a  coroner's  jury,  where 
the  causes  of  death  are  not  distinctly  apparent,  viz  :  "  death  by  dispensation  of 
Providence,"  "  died  by  a  visitation  of  God." 

This  reminds  us  of  the  reply  of  an  ancient  philosopher,  touching  an  important 
question  in  hydraulics,  "  Nature  abhors  a  vacuum  beyond  thirty-two  feet ;"  and 
we  may  safely  infer  that  the  fertility  of  our  soils  in  such  cases  "abhors"  the  produc 
tion  of  the  crop,  although  the  evidences  of  inexhaustibility  in  the  soils  are  never 
more  apparent  than  when  that  crop  is  successful. 

This  is  our  present  condition  relating  to  this  matter,  and  the  usual  number  of 
causes  assigned  for  such  discrepancies  are  equaled  only  by  the  groundless  premi 
ses  on  which  they  are  based.  As  this  subject  touches  a  vital  interest  in  this 
State's  welfare,  it  should  merit  that  attention  which  its  importance  demands,  and 
measures  taken  to  develop  the  facts  which  have  a  bearing  upon  this  subject,  leav 
ing  the  fancies  that  have  hitherto  attached  themselves  to  this  subject,  to  their 
own  support. 

To  avail  ourselves  of  such  means  of  demonstrative  evidences,  should  be  one 
of  our  first  motives  of  action,  for  in  this  subject  the  whole  people  have  a  direct 
interest,  it  being  a  matter  that  affects  each  person  pecuniarily,  and  the  State  in 
the  same  manner,  but  to  a  more  extended  degree.  To  accomplish  this  result,  a 
series  of  meteorological  observations  should  be  instituted,  that  would  extend 
from  Siskiyou  to  San  Diego.  Sixteen  stations,  at  as  many  different  parts  of  the 
State,  would  not  be  too  small  a  number,  which  could  be  thoroughly  equipped 
with  all  necessary  instruments  for  about  $1,800.  The  result  of  such  observa 
tions  would  place  us  in  possession  of  facts,  whereby  legitimate  deductions  could 
be  made  as  to  the  influences  that  climatic  changes  and  conditions  exert  on  the 
different  varieties  of  crops  that  our  lands  are  capable  of  producing,  and  which 
have  been  made  so  wofully  manifest  during  1855. 

These  are  the  only  means  by  which  this  matter  can  be  demonstrated,  and  until 
adopted,  and  systematically  carried  out,  the  uncertainty  and  doubt  that  now 
invest  this  subject  must  continue,  the  State,  and  private  citizens  being  subjected 
to  losses,  in  the  failure  of  certain  kinds  of  grains,  without  a  hint  even  of  the 
medicate  causes  producing  the  sad  effects  that  it  has  been  our  lot  to  witness 
within  the  past  year. 

SAN  BERNARDINO. 

During  the  months  of  October  and  November,  the  country  intermediate 
between  Los  Angeles  and  San  Bernardino  was  partially  examined.  This  district 
is  made  up  of  an  elevated  plain,  ranging  from  two  hundred  to  nine  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea,  the  ascent  from  Los  Angeles  to  the  highest  part  of  the  plain 
being  gradual  and  uniform.  The  north  side  of  the  plain  is  flanked  by  high  and 
rugged  mountains,  the  mean  trend  of  which  is  nearly  east  and  west,  and  belong 
to  the  San  Bernardino  range.  It  is  this  same  range  that  at  Santa  Barbara,  and 
for  a  considerable  distance  eastward,  has  found  a  place  on  local  maps,  bearing 
the  name  of  Sierra  Madre,  which  is  very  inappropriate,  and  only  serves  to  pro 
duce  confusion.  The  range  should  bear  the  name  of  one  of  the  principal  moun 
tains,  San  Jacinto,  or  San  Bernardino  ;  the  latter  would  be  preferable,  as  it  is 
most  prominent,  and  better  known.  As  it  is  a  distinct  range,  and  of  considera 
ble  length,  probably  not  less  than  two  hundred  miles,  or  even  more  than  this, 
and  running  in  a  direction  almost  transverse  to  every  other  mountain  chain, 
either  in  this  State  or  the  adjoining  province  of  Sonora,  a  name  that  would  sep- 


19 

arate  it  from  the  chain,  bearing  the  appellation  of  Sierra  Madre,  in  the  latter 
province,  should  be  adopted,  for  it  is  only  by  knowing  the  positions  of  our  moun 
tains  that  the  geography  of  the  State  can  ever  be  clearly  defined. 

On  the  south  side  the  plain  is  skirted  by  a  range  of  high  hills  and  low  moun 
tains,  derived  apparently  from  the  high  mountain  near  the  coast,  and  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Bay  of  San  Pedro,  known  as  the  Santa  Anna,  deriving  its  name  from 
the  river  which  flows  and  discharges  its  waters  into  the  sea  at  its  base. 

The  country  after  leaving  the  Monte,  which  is  ten  miles  east  of  Los  Angeles, 
gradually  attains  elevation  for  sixty  miles,  at  the  rate  of  about  twelve  feet  per 
mile,  and  terminates  near  the  western  edge  of  the  valley,  on  which  the  town  of 
San  Bernardino  is  built.  From  here  the  ground  descends  for  several  miles,  form 
ing  the  beautiful  valley  bearing  the  latter  name. 

For  the  distance  of  about  twenty  miles  of  the  route,  the  country  is  almost  a 
perfect  desert,  producing  but-  a  scanty  vegetation,  consisting  of  almost  leafless 
shrubs,  with  a  few  scattered  species  of  the  low  palm  tribe,  and  cactus. 

After  crossing  this  desert,  you  enter  one  of,  the  most  beautiful  valleys  in  the 
State,  surrounded  on  every  side  by  water,  and  a  stream  of  considerable  size,  (the 
Santa  Anna,)  coursing  its  eastern  and  southern  border.  This  valley  contains 
about  twelve  leagues  of  land,  and  is  situated  about  twenty  miles  west  of  the 
mountain.  Similar  in  climate  to  the  plains,  of  Los  Angeles,  it  is  capable  of  pro 
ducing  the  fruits  and  flowers  of  either  the  temperate  or  tropical  zones.  Indigo, 
coffee  and  tobacco,  will  flourish  here,  and  either,  as  a  crop,  would  prove  more 
remunerative  than  those  now  raised  in  this  or  any  other  portion  of  the  State. 
The  introduction  of  either,  or  all  of  these  staples  of  trade  and  commerce,  in  this 
locality  in  particular,  is  a  subject  that  should  command  the  attention  of  our  citi 
zens  residing  there. 

The  production  of  wheat  in  this  valley,  must,  for  the  reasons  given  in  preceding 
pages,  prove  too  doubtful  a  crop  to  be  relied  upon  as  a  source  of  revenue  entirely, 
for  the  blasting  effects  of  the  sea  winds  reach  this  place  with  ease.  The  charac 
ter  of  the  immediate  and  distant  country  that  surrounds  this  section,  must,  so 
long  as  they  exist  in  their  present  form,  induce  a  frequent  re-enactment  of  the 
disastrous  results  to  that  crop,  which  befel  alike  them  and  their  more  northern 
and  western  neighbors  the  past  year. 

The  soil  is  possessed  of  almost  unlimited  capacities,  and  a  fine  climate  exists. 
This  may  be  aptly  illustrated  by  a  statement  of  the  fact,  that  after  the  blight  of 
the  cereal  crop  in  1855;  the  grounds  were  re-plowed,  and  planted  to  maize, 
which  was  nearly  ready  for  harvest  in  the  month  of  October  of  the  same  year. 
This  district,  like %the  primitive  sections  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  produces  gold  in  its 
rocks  and  streams,  sufficient  in  quantity  to  warrant  mining  explorations  to  a  consid 
erable  extent.  But  with  me  it  would  be  a  matter  of  doubtful  policy,  to  abandon 
the  more  certain  results  of  agricultural  pursuits,  with  the  advantages  that  soil  and 
climate  here  present  for  the  production  of  those  staples  of  trade,  which  as  a  State 
we  now  so  heavily  import,  for  the  more  uncertain,  but  at  times  the  more  ready 
product  of  the  mine  and  placer.  When  all  other  means  fail,  they  have  the  mate 
rial  about  them  that  will  furnish  all  the  necessaries  of  life  that  are  purchasable 
for  a  long  period  of  time- 

The  streams  that  produce  gold  in  this  part  of  the  State,  are  those  of  the  San 
Gabriel,  Arroya  del  Gabon,  the  Santa  Anna  and  its  mountain  tributaries,  with  the 
valley  at  the  base  of  San  Bernardino,  known  as  Valle  del  Oso,  (Bear  Valley). 
The  metal  is  in  coarse,  thick  scales,  and  small,  pin-head  grains,  usually  but  little 
waterworn,  and  often  quite  rough.  Between  the  mountains  and  Temescal,  and 
also  in  the  direction  of  San  Jacinto,  in  the  entrance  of  the  Pass  of  San  Gorgouio,' 
an  iron-shot  auriferous  quartz  is  found. 

I  regard  this  deposit  of  gold,  and   that  of  the  northern  slope  of  the  San  Ber- 


20 

nardino  Mountains,  as  but  the  terminal  portion  of  an  auriferous  belt,  extending 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  northward,  and  is  again  met  with  at  the  Armagosa 
Mountains,  a  short  distance  from  the  immigrant  road  leading  from  Salt  Lake  to 
San  Bernardino. 


GEOLOGY  OF  TABLE  MOUNTAIN,  TUOLUMNE  COUNTY. 

This  celebrated  locality,  of  which  so  much  has  been  said  and  written  of  late, 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  interesting  places  to  be  found  in  this  State. 

That  portion  of  the  mountain  which  has  so  recently  attracted  attention  on 
account  of  the  placer  deposits  found  beneath  its  surface,  is  situated  near  the 
towns  of  Sonora  and  Columbia,  being  about  equi-distant  from  either  locality.  A 
portion  of  Shaw's  Flat  is  situated  immediately  at  its  base.  The  superior  portion 
of  the  mountain  is  composed  of  basaltic  rock  having  the  prismatic  form ;  but  in 
a  few  instances,  at  different  points,  it  assumes  the  pentagonal  shape,  so  common 
to  the  columnar  form  of  this  rock. 

I  have  traced  this  basaltic  overflow  in  an  east  and  west  direction,  for  the 
distance  of  nearly  forty  miles  on  its  course,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  will  be 
found  to  extend  to  a  much  greater  distance  eastward  than  at  present  known. 

As  yet  the  origin  of  this  volcanic  outbreak  is  somewhat  obscure,  as  no  decided 
volcanic  vent  is  yet  known  to  the  east  of  this  range,  though  such  has  been 
reported  ;  nor  is  it  necessary  that  a  crater  should  exist  to  produce  the  features 
that  are  throughout  its  extent  observable. 

From  all  the  evidence  existing  on  the  subject  and  in  our  possession  at  the 
present  time,  it  appears  most  probable  that  this  immense  mass  of  igneous  mate 
rial  found  its  way  to  the  surface  through  a  large  fissure  produced  from  subterra 
nean  forces,  and  is  in  itself  purely  local. 

The  vertical  position  of  the  columns  prove,  that  for  twenty  miles  of  its  course 
at  least,  it  must  have  flowed  in  a  horizontal  direction,  and  at  the  western  end  of 
the  bed,  where  it  approached  the  plains  and  began  to  thin  out,  there  we  find  it 
following  the  accepted  rule  as  regards  the  crystallographic  forms  assumed  by  this 
rock.  Although  it  is  prismatic  it  loses  to  a  certain  extent  its  vertically,  (as 
may  be  seen  at  Peppermint  Falls,)  and  the  columns  are  inclined  to  various 
degrees  of  the  horizon. 

Its  super-position  is  another  proof  of  its  horizontal  movement,  as  well  as  its 
comparatively  modern  age.  The  rocks  over  which  it  flowed  on  the  south  side  of 
the  mountain  are  primitive  in  character,  being  composed  of  mica  schist  and 
others  of  the  granitic  series,  the  former  at  the  points  of  contacl  having  suffered 
in  texture  and  compactness  from  the  heated  mass. 

Its  breadth  is  very  variable  throughout  its  course,  in  no  instance,  I  believe, 
less  than  four  hundred  feet  and  often  to  one-fourth  of  a  mile.  It  seems  to  have 
followed  the  course  of  a  stream,  filling  its  bed  and  banks,  and  to  have  flowed  in 
this  course  for  the  entire  length  that  it  is  now  observable  upon  the  surface. 

To  the  east  of  Columbia  it  crosses  the  present  bed  of  the  Stanislaus  at  two 
different  places,  but  what  its  position  beyond  this  may  be  is  at  present  unknown 
with  any  degree  of  certainty.  From  the  relative  position  of  the  Stanislaus  at 
the  present  time  the  evidences  are  almost  demonstrative,  that  at  the  period  of  its 
occurrence  it  flowed  into  and  down  the  former  bed  of  this  river,  displacing  the 
latter  and  filling  up  the  space  between  its  banks.  The  depth  of  the  banks  to 
the  bed  may  be  pretty  accurately  measured  by  the  thickness  of  the  basalt  above 
that  bed,  which  is  about  one  hundred  feet  on  a  general  average. 

Subsequent  to  the  deposition  of  these  rocks  the  drift-banks  of  the  stream  have 
been  gradually  removed,  which  has  left  the  basalt  in  relief  above  them.  A 


21 

portion  of  the  ancient  banks  still  remain  on  the  south  side  of  the  mountain  for 
about  one  mile  in  length,  and  this  is  found  to  rest  on  the  same  micaceous  schist 
that  is  found  at  various  points,  as  before  mentioned.  The  drift  is  composed  of 
the  debris  of  primitive  rocks  alone. 

Within  the  outcropping  mica  schist  on  the  flanks  of  the  mountain  and  beneath 
the  basaltic  mass,  is  found  a  very  modern  aqueous  deposit,  consisting  of  clay, 
sands,  fine  and  coarse  gravels,  similar  in  all  respects  to  present  river  beds. 
Among  these  are  found  the  shells  of  alosmodon  and  a  few  small  univalves,  the 
casts  of  which  closely  resemble  some  forms  of  physa — present  inhabitants  of  the 
adjoining  streams.  Of  the  former  shell  I  am  unable  to  distinguish  it  from  alas- 
modon  yubaensis,  a  shell  found  in  all  our  streams  throughout  the  State  at  the 
present  time. 

The  fine  clays  contain  an  abundance  of  leaves  of  present  existing  genera  and 
species,  most  of  them  may  be  found  in  the  adjacent  country  distributed  along 
the  banks  of  the  streams  and  in  the  deep  ravines  adjoining. 

The  "  bed  rock "  is  primitive,  like  the  present  baiik  of  the  Stanislaus  to  the 
north,  being  composed  of  mica  schist  and  the  older  trappean  group.  Time  is  yet 
required  to  determine  with  certainty  the  period  to  which  this  basaltic  overflow 
belongs,  but  from  present  appearances  it  seems  improbable  that  it  should  extend 
beyond  the  pliocene. 

The  examination  of  the  fossils,  made  by  Messrs.  Evans,  Shumard  and  Newb.erg, 
about  the  Dalles,  and  other  parts  of  Oregon  and  Washington  Territories,  may 
throw  some  light  upon  this  subject,  as  these  gentlemen  have  observed  the  overflow 
of  basalt  in  those  regions  over  the  modern  aqueous  deposits  to  an  extent  that 
would  make  "  Table  Mountain  "  a  mere  secondary  affair. 

The  gravel  arid  clay  beds  of  this  locality  have  been  found  to  prove  extremely 
rich  in  placer  gold,  but  like  all.  new  discoveries  of  this  kind,  much  that  has  been 
said  is  only  conjectural. 

There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  range  will  furnish  a  large  amount  of 
gold,  from  one  extremity  to  the  other,  as  it  flows  over  a  deposit  which  has  been 
derived  from  the  primitive  rocks  exclusively,  from  which  the  greater  portion  of 
the  placer  gold  of  this  State  has  been  set  free. 

Another  reason  that  confirms  this  opinion  is  found  in  the  fact,  that  the  drift 
deposits  which  lie  beyond  the  western  terminus  of  the  Table  Mountain,  and 
inferior  to  the  same,  are  well  charged  with  gold.  They  are  likewise  co-extensive 
in  an  easterly  direction  with  the  mountain,  so  far  as  that  limit  is  at  present  known. 

This  being  the  case  it  will  require  no  dangerous  tension  of  the  mind  to  believe 
that  for  many  years  hence,  this  district  will  yield  ample  rewards  for  labor,  though 
in  a  minor  degree  to  what  either  anticipation  or  report  would  make  it. 

This  mountain  has  been  often  blended  with  the  table  lands  that  skirt  the  base 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  many  places.  There  is  but  one  locality  with  which  I  am 
acquainted,  that  bears  any  resemblance  to  it,  and  that  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Pose 
Creek  on  the  Upper  Tulare.  The  relationship  here  existing  is  found  in  the 
character  and  age  of  the  material,  but  not  in  the  forms  that  it  assumes;  for  in  the 
latter  case  the  overflowed  matter  is  mostly  scoriaceous  and  massive,  and  not 
prismatic. 

The  table  lands  (called  Table  Mountains  since  the  opening  of  the  locality  at 
Sonora)  of  other  parts  of  the  State  are  the  remains  of  the  ancient  shores  of  the 
ocean,  and  are  of  marine  origin  exclusively,  having  their  origin  from  aqueous 
causes  alone,  not  from  igneous.  The  peculiarities  of  form  seen  from  a  distance, 
has  been  the  cause  of  confounding  them  together. 

Beneath  the  basaltic  rocks  of  the  Table  Mountain,  and  below  the  fresh  water 
deposits  that  immediately  succeed  the  latter,  are  found  a  series  of  marine  tertiary 
rock,  composed  of  sand-stone,  conglomerate  and  slates  regularly  stratified,  and 


22 

Laving  a  westerly  dip  of  eight  or  ten  degrees.  These  aqueous  rocks  can  be 
studied  to  the  best  advantage  about  two  miles  east  of  Dentville,  on  the  Stanislaus 
River.  At  the  locality  known  as  "  Two  Mile  Bar  "  these  rocks  are  cut  through 
by  the  river,  exposing  their  surface  and  those  of  the  basaltic  columns  above  them, 
to  the  hight  of  more  than  two  hundred  feet  above  the  primitive  rocks  on  which 
they  rest,  and  which  are  exposed  for  a  hight  above  the  surface  of  the  stream  for 
about  sixty  feet  more. 

The  scenery  at  this  place  is  romantic  in  the  extreme,  but  not  more  so  perhaps 
than  at  other  points  further  up. 

Above  all  the  aqueous  rocks  the  basalt  appears  in  the  columnar  form,  at  places 
standing  vertical,  and  again  the  columns  lying  horizontal  resting  upon  the  vertical 
masses.  The  mural  walls  of  the  aqueous  rocks  with  the  above,  and  their  hight 
above  the  river,  give  to  the  district  a  wild,  rugged,  and  at  the  same  time,  a  fan 
ciful  aspect.  About  three  miles  above  Dentville  an  adit  was  driven  into  the 
aqueous  rocks,  by  Judge  Stakes  and  others  associated  with  him,  in  which  several 
marine  shells  were  met  with.  This  work  is  still  going  on,  and  during  the  coining 
season  will  test  most  fully  the  character  of  these  rocks. 

Gold  was  met  with  in  the  course  of  the  works,  but  not  in  sufficient  amount  to 
justify  them  in  stopping  at  this  point  for  its  extraction. 

This  is  but  another  instance  corroborative  of  my  former  statements,  of  the 
existence  of  this  metal  in  the  marine  sand-stones  and  conglomerates  that  skirt 
almost  the  entire  line  of  the  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  is  but  an  analogue  of 
the  present  existing  state  of  things  along  'our  coast  line,  from  Oregon  southward. 
We  need  no  better  evidence  of  this  than  the  beach  washings  along  that  line  at 
the  present  period. 


CARBONIFEROUS  ROCKS  OF  THE  NORTHERN  DISTRICTS. 

In  my  report  of  last  year,  attention  was  called  to  the  existence  of  a  group  of 
rocks  belonging  to  the  coal  measures.  The  line  of  country  traveled  over  in  this 
part  of  the  State,  has  developed  their  existence  as  far  north  as  the  Shasta  and 
Yreka  Valleys,  and  westward  of  the  points  at  which  they  were  noticed  last  year, 
as  far  as  the  head  of  the  Cottonwood.  Those  groups  of  the  above  district  are 
much  superior  in  position  to  those  observed  in  1854,  and  contain  a  series  of  fos 
sils  of  higher  organization.  They  are  consequently  further  removed  from  the 
coal  beds  than  those  rocks  situated  between  the  Pitt  River  and  Cow  Creek,  east 
of  the  Sacramento.  On  the  Cottonwood,  small  seams  of  a  highly  bituminous 
coal  is  frequently  met  with,  but  as  yet  no  vein  of  sufficient  power  to  warrant 
mining  operations  for  this  mineral. 

In  the  district  east  of  the  river  two  additional  veins  have  been  found,  neither 
of  which  have  yet  been  opened  to  any  considerable  extent.  Within  the  ensuing 
year  this  section  will  be  more  thoroughly  explored  for  this  mineral,  as  its  exten 
sion  southward  from  Cow  Creek  we  are  now  pretty  certain  is  not  less  than  thirty 
miles. 

SALINES  OF  THE  UPPER  SACRAMENTO   VALLEY. 

Among  the  table  lands  of  this  part  of  the  State,  are  found  an  extensive  group 
of  sedimentary  rocks  belonging  to  the  lower  Eocene  period,  abundant  in  marine 
fossil  remains.  In  the  vicinity  of  Antelope  Creek,  extensive  saline  deposits  are 
met  with,  which,  if  properly  worked,  will  furnish  large  supplies  of  salt  for  com 
mercial  purposes.  Associated  with  the  latter  mineral  in  solution,  and  as  an  efflo 
rescence  on  the  rocks  and  earth,  is  found  the  tincal,  which,  when  purified,  forms 


23 

the  borax  of  commerce,  so  much  used  in  all  metallurgical  operations  as  a  flux  for 
the  purification  and  smelting  of  metals  and  metallic  ores.  The  capacity  of  this 
district  for  the  production  of  this  mineral  alone,  is  equal  to  eight  hundred  tuns 
per  annum. 

Considering  the  very  few  localities  which  furnish  this  useful  agent  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  make  it  an  object  for  commercial  purposes,  this  locality,  in  this  State, 
assumes  an  important  position,  and  adds  another  to  the  many  of  our  valuable 
resources.  The  day  is  not  far  distant  when  this  mineral  will  be  found  to  form  an 
extensive  article  of  export  to  foreign  markets,  and  to  compete  with  the  produce  of 
Tuscany,  China  and  Thibet,  at  present  the  three  main  sources  of  supply  for  the 
world.  It  is  found  here  in  the  form  of  bi-borate  of  soda,  boracic  acid,  borate  of 
lime,  and  of  magnesia.  In  addition  to  this,  iodine  and  bromine  occur  at  the  same 
locality. 

The  springs  which  furnish  these  materials  are  abundant,  and  thus  far  have 
proved  highly  efficacious  as  medicated  waters,  a  great  variety  being  found  in  the 
immediate  vicinity.  Sulphurated  hydrogen  gas  is  found  in  some  of  these  springs, 
forming  an  active  medicinal  agent,  in  the  form  of  sulphur  springs,  a  few  of  which 
are  thermal. 

From  all  the  springs  heavy  volumes  of  carbureted  hydrogen  is  evolved,  which 
burns  freely,  and  with  a  clear  flame.  This  latter  is  furnished  in  sufficient  quanti 
ty  to  serve  the  purpose  of  evaporating  the  waters,  for  the  manufacture  of  salt 
and  borax. 

The  elimination  of  this  inflammable  gas  in  such  large  quantities,  and  the  occur 
rence  of  the  coal-bearing  rocks  and  occasional  seams  of  coal  a  few  miles  to  the 
north  is,  to  say  the  least,  a  strong  inducement  to  believe  that  a  bed  of  bituminous 
coal  underlies  this  entire  section  of  the  State.  The  evidences  are  sufficiently 
strong  to  warrant  an  exploration  to  determine  this  point  by  boring.  It  is  not 
probable  that  a  depth  to  exceed  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  would  be  necessary 
to  determine  the  fact.  • 


MAMMOTH  MINE  SEVENTY-SIX,  JAMISON  CREEK. 

This  mine  is  situated  on  Jamison  Creek,  in  the  County  of  Plumas.  It  was  loca 
ted  and  opened  in  1851.  The  lode  is  heavy,  and  belongs  to  the  primitive  ranges, 
situated  near  the  eastern  line  of  the  State,  and  near  the  main  ridge  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada. 

It  is  beyond  doubt  but  a  continuation  of  that  line  of  lodes  on  which  the  Ariel 
Mine  is  located  in  the  County  of  Sierra,  eighteen  miles  southward  of  Downieville, 
on  the  south  branch  of  the  North  Yuba,  and  also  that  of  the  National  Mine,  on 
the  ridge  of  South  Fork  of  the  Yuba,  in  the  County  of  Nevada,  the  Copper  Hill 
and  German  Bar  Mines  lying  intermediate,  and  between  the  Middle  Yuba  and 
Downieville. 

In  1852  the  company  commenced  work  with  a  set  of  arastras,  and  have  con 
tinued  with  the  same  until  the  present  year.  During  1855  they  have  erected  a 
Chili  Mill  at  an  expense  of  $18,000,  employing  water  as  a  motive,  with  a  capacity 
equal  to  thirty  horse  power.  The  expense  of  opening  the  mine,  with  the  improve 
ments  prior  to  1855,  amounts  in  the  aggregate  to  a  little  less  than  $10,000,  mak 
ing  the  cash  capital  invested  equal  to  $28,000  at  the  present  time. 

The  present  condition  of  the  mine  is  as  follows  :  A  main  shaft  has  been  driven 
near  the  center  of  the  lode,  to  the  depth  of  seventy  feet,  and  ten  feet  in  diameter, 
occupying  the  power  of  the  lode  only ;  an  adit  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in 
length  cutting  the  vein  thirty  feet  below  the  bottom  of  the  main  shaft,  (the  adit 
is  five  feet  by  six  feet,)  which  will  deliver  the  ores  from  the  mine  with  greater 


24 

facility  and  quantity,  than  by  the  course  heretofore  pursued,  and  with  a  great 
saving  of  expense. 

An  adit  is  to  be  connected  with  the  reduction  works  by  a  train  road.  The  adit 
has  been  driven  through  the  trap  rock  for  a  distance  exceeding  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet,  at  an  expense  of  thirty  dollars  per  foot. 

On  these  large  lodes,  wherever  they  have  been  opened,  we  find  the  same  gen 
eral  rule  holding  good  that  have  been  repeated  previously,  viz :  that  a  very  gen 
eral  increase  in  power  is  manifest  the  greater  the  depth  attained. 

In  this  mine  the  increase  is  eighteen  inches  in  twelve  fathoms,  the  vein  at  this 
depth  being  twelve  feet  in  power. 

The  Chili  Mill  reduces  two  and  one-half  tons  per  diem,  the  ore  yielding  thus 
far  an  average  of  forty  dollars  per  ton. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  statement  that  this  mine,  as  imperfectly  worked 
as  it  appears  to  have  been  by  the  slow  process  of  the  arastra,  together  with  the 
absolute  amount  of  ore  reduced,  which  amounts  to  seven  hundred  tons  only,  has 
paid  the  entire  outlay  of  capital  in  its  opening,  and  to  the  present  time  the  yield 
being  $28,000  with  the  contingent  and  incidental  expenses. 


RECAPITULATION. 

Mine  opened,  1851 ;  erection  of  new  reduction  works,  1855  ;  expense  incurred 
for  same,  $18,000. 

Tuns  of  ore  reduced  per  day,  two  and  a  half;  average  value  of  same,  forty 
dollars. 

Depth  of  main  shaft,  seventy  feet ;  length  of  adit,  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet. 

Cost  of  adit,  $5,320 ;  cost  of  shaft,  $1,260. 

Strike  of  lode,  N.  30°  E. ;  dip  40°  W. ;  power,  twelve  feet. 

Walls  of  lode,  talcose  schist ;   ores,  pyriferous  and  gossan. 

McGHEE,  Director. 


EXPERIMENTAL  MINE,  COLUMBIA,  TUOLUMNE  COUNTY. 

This  mine  is  situated  about  one  and  a  half  miles  north  of  the  town  of  Colum 
bia,  in  the  County  of  Tuolumne. 

It  was  first  located  in  1852,  and  some  little  money  and  labor  expended  upon  it 
sufficient  to  fairly  test  the  character  of  the  vein. 

From  this  time  until  the  early  part  of  1854,  little  or  no  labor  was  bestowed  in 
developing  the  mine.  During  that  year  a  company  was  organized  with  a  small 
capital,  who  proceeded  to  erect  a  mill  and  reduction  works,  driven  by  water,  and 
continued  in  operation  until  the  failure  of  a  sufficient  supply  of  the  motive  power 
compelled  them  to  suspend  their  operations  for  the  time  being. 

The  capital  invested  in  erecting  their  reduction  works  amounted  to  $3,602  ;  and 
at  the  end  of  a  little  more  than  four  months,  the  mine  yielded  $16,150  from  fif 
teen  hundred  tons  of  ore,  giving  an  average  of  a  little  more  than  ten  dollars  per 
ton. 

This,  however,  is  but  a  preliminary  movement  to  a  larger  operation,  as  the 
aggregate  yield  was  found  to  pay  a  large  interest  on  the  capital  invested. 


25 


SPRING  HILL  MINE,  AMADOR,  AMADOR  COUNTY. 

Cash  capital  $18,000. 

The  Spring  Hill  Mine  is  situated  on  Amador  Creek,  about  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  from  the  town,  to  the  westward. 

The  lode  comprising  this  mine  was  located  in  1851,  by  Rice  &  Co.,  who  com 
menced  operations  on  the  vein  in  1852. 

It  is  from  this  year  that  the  mine  must  take  the  date  of  its  existence,  for  during 
that  period  the  first  mining  improvements  were  instituted. 

From  1852  to  the  beginning  of  1855,  the  lode  was  worked  with  variable  suc 
cess  by  the  original  owners.-  This  was  attributable  to  the  loose  manner  in  which 
the  mechanical  and  engineering  departments  were  conducted,  and  the  lack  of 
application  of  those  means  that  were  available  and  most  effective  during  that 
period.  Mechanical  skill  and  a  sad  want  of  knowledge  of  the  requirements  of 
mining  engineering  marked  its  progress  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
the  mine  was  in  a  condition  little  better  than  valueless,  and  the  motive  power 
nearly  on  a  par  with  the  subterranean  workings.  The  whole  appearance  of  the 
property  was  that  of  a  "present"  interest  only,  and  each  department  of  its  con 
duction  was  but  a  reflection  of  the  same  image,  too  frequent  still,  even  at  this  time. 

The  result  of  the  above  operation  was  the  disposition  of  the  property  at  a  mere 
song,  a  moiety  of  its  true  value,  which  took  place  in  the  latter  part  of  1854. 

At  this  period  a  new  company  came  in  possession  of  the  entire  property  by 
purchase,  and  commenced  the  first  improvements  that  partook  of  the  character 
of  permanency  in  the  slightest  degree.  Their  first  movement  was  to  place  the 
mine  in  something  like  a  safe  working  condition,  which  required  a  heavy  outlay 
of  capital  in  addition  to  the  purchase,  they  being  obliged  to  repair  the  defects  of 
the  workings  of  previous  years.  This  done,  they  then  commenced  the  extrac 
tion  of  such  ores  only  as  could  be  removed  without  subsequent  injury  resulting 
to  the  mine,  and  secured  their  excavations,  as  they  proceeded,  in  a  permanent 
manner.  In  the  course  of  these  workings,  from  their  directions  and  the  relative 
position  of  the  older  excavations,  it  became  necessary  to  cut  the  latter,  in  order 
that  easy  and  efficient  communication  might  be  had  with  the  reduction  works,  for 
the  transportation  of  the  material  of  the  lode;  and  in  pursuing  this  course  it  was 
not  unfrequently  that  the  old  works,  as  they  approached  them,  would  give  way, 
from  the  total  insufficiency  of  the  artificial  supports  that  were  placed  in  them. 

Thus,  after  encountering  obstacles  of  the  above  character,  the  company  have 
succeeded  in  not  only  placing  the  mine  in  a  safe  and  accessible  condition,  but  have 
also  taken  from  the  lode  an  amount  of  ore  sufficient  to  meet  their  outlay  in  repairs 
and  other  improvements,  and  a  handsome  profit  on  the  capital  investment. 

Since  its  occupancy  by  the  present  company  a  new  building  has  been  erected 
over  the  mill  and  wheel,  and  another  for  the  accommodation  of  their  men  em 
ployed,  which  is  twenty-six  by  fifty-two  feet,  at  an  aggregate  expense  of  $3,500. 
The  dead  work  consists  in  driving  their  upper  adit  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  at 
an  expense  of  six  dollars  per  foot,  and  the  sinking  of  the  eleven-fathom  shaft  at 
its  termination,  at  an  expense  of  five  dollars  per  foot,  which  in  their  aggregates 
amount  to  $1,230  more. 

The  improvements  on  the  mine  for  1856,  and  which  are  in  course  of  construc 
tion  by  contract,  are  one  adit  of  ninety  feet,  at  seven  dollars  per  foot.  This  adit 
begins  at  the  north  shaft  of  the  old  workings  and  runs  diagonally  into  the  hill, 
and  when  on  the  vein  will  afford  a  line  of  level  about  five  hundred  feet  in  length. 
A  new  sixty-horse-power  engine  is  in  process  of  erection  to  replace  the  dilapidated 
machinery  now  in  use,  and  a  heavy  Chili  mill  in  connection  with  the  former,  the 
whole  of  which  will  be  driven  by  a  sixty-horse-power. 


26 

Statistics  for  1855. 

Number  of  men  employed,  11. 

Five  miners  at  §60  per  month : $300 

One  Stoker  t 50 

One  Whim-tender 50 

Two  Battery-tenders  at  $60  per  month 120 

Two  Engineers  at  $65  per  month 130 

One  hundred  and  forty-four  cords  of  Fuel  at  $5  per  cord. .  720 

Provisions 240 

Incidentals v 240 

$1,850 

Average  amount  of  ore  reduced  per  month,  246  tuns;  aggregate  for  nine 
months,  2,221  tuns;  average  value  per  tun,  $21 ;  aggregate  receipts,  $46,000. 

Aggregate  deads  and  improvements $4,730 

Average  monthly  expenses 1,850 

AsfOTea*ate  of  expenses  .  16,650 

oo      o  Jr 

Total  expenses $23,230 

Net  balance  over  all  expenses $22,770 


CONDITION    OF    THE    MINE. 

Fathoms. 

One  Whim  Shaft 19 

One  Air  Shaft 19 

One  Air  Shaft. .  11 


Total  Shafting 49 

Feet 

Lower  Level  at  bottom  of  Whim  Shaft 130 

One  Adit V 274 

One  Adit 30 

Total  Levels  and  Adits 434 

Strike,  north  and  south;  dip,  68°  east;  power,  nine  feet.     Ores,  pyritous. 

PACIFIC   MINE,  PLACERVILLE,  EL   DORADO   COUNTY. 

The  ground  occupied  by  the  mine  of  this  company  was  located  in  1852,  and 
like  many  others  of  that  period,  had  an  existence  only  in  the  highly  elated  hopes 
of  those  who  found  the  lode.  Until  1854  the  ground  remained  unimproved, 
when  the  present  stockholders,  becoming  convinced  of  the  value  of  the  lode, 
commenced  operations  by  opening  the  vein  through  shafts  and  adits,  and  subse 
quently  by  the  erection  of  reduction  works  during  the  summer  of  the  year. 

The  mine  was  continued  in  active  operation  from  that  time  up  to  the  present 
without  intermission,  during  the  period  in  which  water  was  obtainable,  wliich  is 


their  motive  power.  The  absolute  running  time  for  the  year  (ending  November, 
1855)  was  nine  months  and  twenty  days. 

The  cash  capital  invested  in  the  beginning  of  operations  in  1854,  was  $11,000, 
about  $7,000  of  which  was  expended  in  the  erection  of  their  mill,  and  the  balance 
in  opening  the  lode  and  the  construction  of  conveniences  to  convey  their  ores  to 
the  reduction  works. 

The  amount  of  work  done  upon  the  lode  within  the  year,  will  perhaps  convey 
a  better  idea  of  the  activity  with  which  the  work  has  been  prosecuted  than  any 
other  means  that  could  be  adopted. 

The  lode  has  been  opened  and  is  in  good  workable  condition  for  more  than  two 
hundred  feet  and  at  an  average  depth  of  nearly  sixteen  fathoms  for  the  above 
length  below  the  surface.  Near  the  center  of  the  lode  one  thirteen-fathom  shaft 
has  been  sunk  and  is  used  at  the  present  for  bringing  the  ores  from  the  upper 
galleries  to  the  surface. 

From  the  west  side  of  the  hill  an  adit  has  been  driven  to  intersect  the  lode  on 
a  line  with  the  main  shaft,  and  which  cuts  the  lode  at  twenty  fathoms  from  the 
surface. 

From  the  entrance  of  the  adit  to  the  reduction  works  a  train  road  has  been 
carried  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  about  five  hundred  feet  in  length,  which  is  now 
used  for  the  delivery  of  all  the  ores  of  the  mine ;  this  has  been  constructed  during 
the  past  year  at  an  outlay  of  $4,500. 

During  the  month  of  December  the  company  were  engaged  in  erecting  more 
effective  machinery  for  the  purpose  of  amalgamation,  at  an  expense  of  about 
$3,500.  This  is  a  judicious  movement,  as  it  is  most  evident  that  a  serious  loss  of 
metal  has  been  sustained  during  the  past  year's  operations. 

At  the  end  of  the  year,  terminating  the  29th  September,  1855,  the  company  had 
declared  six  dividends,  above  all  current  and  incidental  expenses,  and  above  original 
capital  investment  during  the  following  months.  The  dividends  are  on  forty-five 
shares : 

Per  share.  Net  receipts. 

March  31st $25  00  $1,125  00 

May  26th 60  00  2,700  00 

June  30th 100  00  4,500  00 

July  28th 20  00  900  00 

August  25th 40  00  1,800  00 

Sept.  29th 25  00  1,125  00 

The  following  is  the  statement  of  operations  at  this  mine  for  the  past  year  and 
its  present  condition. 


RECAPITULATION. 

Tuns. 

Amount  of  ore  reduced  per  month 164 

Aggregate  for  nine  months    1,524 

Average  value  per  tun $25  00 

Aggregate  yield  for  1,524  tuns  . 39,778  61 

Current  monthly  expenses 1,650  00 

Aggregate  of  monthly  expenses 14,850  00 

Net  profits 24,928  61 


28 

Fathoms. 

Length  of  lower  level 34 

Upper  gallery,  north 8 

"           "         south 16 

Main  shaft 16 

Main  adit 31 

Strike,  north  and  south;  dip,  58°  east;  power,  9  feet;  dead  work,  $4,500. 


CHARACTERISTICS    OF    THE    LODE. 

The  lode  is  situated  in  talcose  slate,  the  superior  portions  of  both  being  much 
decomposed  and  easily  removed.  A  large  amount  of  the  upper  portions  of  the 
vein  contains  cavities  holding  free  gold.  At  the  depth  of  about  forty  feet  the 
vein  becomes  more  compact  and  pyritous,  having  a  slight  ribbond  appearance, 
from  a  small  quantity  of  gruphite  being  distributed  through  the  seams.  The 
rock  is  thoroughly  impregnated  with  thin,  glistening  scales  of  greenish  and 
whitish  talc,  the  latter  often  covering  the  surfaces  of  fractures  entirely,  and  the 
latter  containing  microscopic  particles  of  gold  in  considerable  quantities;  at  times 
the  surfaces  are  well  filled  with  fine  spangles  of  gold  visible  to  the  naked  eye. 

This  lode  contains  lead  and  molybdenum  in  small  quantities,  in  «khe  form  of 
sulphurets,  at  times  distinct  but  most  commonly  combined  in  the  same  mineral. 
Among  the  ferruginous  sulphurets  a  small  quantity  of  arsenic  is  noticeable,  but 
to  no  considerable  extent. 

This  mine  is  situated  in  the  corporate  limits  of  the  City  of  Placerville,  and 
immediately  south  of  the  center  of  the  corporation. 


EUREKA  MINES,  SUTTER,  AMADOR  COUNTY. 

Cash  capital  invested,  $32,000.  The  location  of  this  mine  was  made  in  the 
early  part  of  1852,  since  which  time  it  has  been  actively  worked  up  to  the  present 
date.  Among  the  early  adventures  in  gold  mining  proper,  the  persons  who  com 
pose  this  company  were  among  the  first  who  entered  the  field  of  research  to  de 
velop  and  demonstrate  the  feasibility  and  practicability  of  this  branch  of  industry 
in  this  State. 

Their  first  operations  were  cotemporaneous  with  the  fe\v  who  launched  on  this 
tide  of  speculation  in  the  County  of  Nevada,  and  with  others  in  the  Counties  of 
Ainador  (Calaveras)  and  Mariposa. 

The  difficulties  encountered  by  these  parties  at  the  outset  were  such  as  to  dis 
hearten  most  of  mankind,  but  a  cool  determination  and  prudence  in  the  manage 
ment  of  their  affairs  has  enabled  them  ultimately  to  overcome  the  multitudinous 
obstacles  that  opposed  their  way,  and  ride  out  safely  the  wild  tornado  of  public 
opinion  that  made  its  inception  against  them  during  the  latter  part  of  1852  and 
the  beginning  of  1853. 

From  the  early  part  of  the  latter  year  the  company  progressed  steadily  in  their 
operations,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  that  year  the  following  was  the  condition  of 
their  mine : 

Near  the  center  of  the  lode  which  forms  their  property,  they  had  sunk  one  shaft 
to  the  depth  of  seven  fathoms ;  at  the  bottom  of  this  shaft  a  level  was  carried 
south  one  hundred  and  forty-three  feet,  and  north  ninety-five  feet,  making  two 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet  of  levels  at  the  close  of  that  year. 

During  this  year  a  heavy  and  long  adit  was  commenced  on  the  east  side  of  the 


29 

hill,  which  was*  driven  through  solid  rock  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet,  and  at 
an  expense  of  eighteen  dollars  per  foot. 

During  the  year  1854  the  main  shaft  was  carried  to  the  depth  of  sixteen  fath 
oms,  and  an  adit  of  one  hundred  feet  driven  on  the  west  side  of  the  hill,  which 
intersects  the  main  shaft  at  the  depth  of  seven  fathoms,  and  the  upper  galleries  at 
the  same  point.  The  upper  galleries  were  driven  one  hundred  and  fourteen  feet 
further  south  and  seventy-five  feet  north. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  sixteen-fathom  shaft'  levels  were  driven  north  sixty  feet 
and  south  eighty-five  feet,  making  one  hundred  and  forty-five  feet  of  levels,  fifty- 
four  feet  shafts  and  one  hundred  feet  adits,  on  the  lode  and  west  side  of  the  hill 
during  that  year ;  the  train-track  and  adit  on  the  east  of  the  vein  having  been 
completed  to  the  length  of  nine  hundred  feet  during  the  same  period. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  ending  December  1,  1855,  the  main  shaft  had  been 
sunk  four  fathoms,  and  a  level  driven  south  ninety-four  feet  and  another  north  to 
the  depth  of  thirty  feet,  and  the  long  adit  driven  to  the  depth  of  five  hundred  and 
thirty -five  feet  below  the  surface  ;  at  this  depth  the  vein  carries  a  power  of  twelve 
feet. 

Prior  to  1855  a  portion  of  the  lode  only  had  been  taken  out,  from  the  meager 
character  it  presented — seven  or  eight  feet  being  the  maximum  of  the  strength  of 
the  lode  used- for  mill-work.  But  since  the  commencement  of  1855  that  position 
of  the  vein  formerly  rejected  has,  at  the  depth  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet, 
assumed  sufficient  value  to  warrant  its  extraction,  and  the  result  is,  an  increase  of 
one-third  more  ore  in  the  same  depth  opened. 

The  ores  now  taken  from  the  mine  are  one  hundred  and  twelve  feet  below  the 
water  line. 

During  the  months  of  January  and  February  the  Directors  declared  three  divi 
dends  of  one  hundred  dollars  per  share.  The  mine  is  free  from  debt. 

The  limited  capacity  of  the  reduction  works,  and  the  increase  in  the  power  of 
the  lode,  bears  little  relation  to  each  other;  and  the  company,  in  place  of  stopping 
their  present  battery  to  erect  one  of  greater  power,  purchased  during  the  past 
year  an  adjoining  mill,  with  its  water  privileges,  of  nearly  equal  capacity  to  their 
own,  at  an  outlay  of  $6,000,  and  with  an  additional  expense  of  $1,500,  have  put 
the  same  in  operation,  thereby  doubling  their  former  capacity  for  reduction.  Ex 
penses  in  repairs  on  the  reduction  works  for  1855,  $1,200. 

The  scarcity  of  water  in  the  creek  from  whence  their  power  is  derived,  during 
the  past  year,  has  been  such  that  but  six  months  full  running  has  been  made, 
during  which  the  average  amount  of  ore  reduced  was  fifty  tuns  per  week.  During 
the  dry  season  the  average  of  reduction  amounted  to  twenty  ,tuns  for  the  same 
period  of  time. 

The  following  statement  will  gire  the  comparative  expenses  in  conducting  the 
operations  of  this  mine  for  1854  and  1855  : 

Statistics  for  1854. 

Cash  capita],  $32,000. 

4  Miners $400 

2  Stokers 120 

2  Battery  Tenders 150 

1  Carpenter 100 

1  Blacksmith . 100 

1  Horse  Team , 216 

1  Ox  Team  . • 192 

Provisions,  etc : •. 900 

,.        Incidentals 80 

$2,258 


30 

Dead  work  on  shaft  and  equipments,  54  feet,  at  $20  per  foot .....' $1,080 

Adit  and  train,  370  feet,  at  $18  per  foot 4,660 

West  Adit,  100  feet,  at  $8 ' 

Aggregate  monthly  expenses  for  nine  months 20,322 

Aggregate  receipts  per  month,  for  nine  months,  at  $4,000  per  month. .   $36,000 

Expenses 26,862 

Balance  .  $9,138 


Statistics  for  1855. 

4  Miners $280 

2  Stokers 120 

2  Battery  Tenders 150 

1  Carpenter 75 

1  Blacksmith 75 

1  Horse  Team 216 

1  Ox  Team *  192 

Provisions,  etc 600 

Incidentals..  60 


$1,768 

Dead  work  on  adit,  165  feet,  at  $7  per  foot $1,155 

Expenditures  on  Mine  and  Mill 13,298 

Total  ore  reduced  for  6  months,  1,296  tuns;  do.  do.  for  6  months,  396  tuns 
Aggregate  Expenses 14,496 

Total  receipts 33,000 

Total  expenses 28,949 

Balance $4,051 

Balance  to  credit  on  purchase  New  Mill 6,000 

The  greater  proportion  of  the  latter  has  been  expended  in  improvements  and 
liquidating  liabilities. 

The  balance  for  1855  is  over  and  above  all  expenses  and  dividends  for  the  year, 
a  very  material  decrease  in  the  expenses  of  conducting  the  operations  of  the 
mine  from  that  of  1854,  which  is  a  general  rule  throughout  the  State. 

The  following  recapitulation  will  show  the  condition  of  the  subterranean  works 
on  the  lode : 

RECAPITULATION. 

Fathoms. 

Depth  Main  Shaft  . . 22 

Feet. 

Length  Upper  Level 230  • 

"        Middle     " 145 

"        Lower      " 124 

Total  length  of  Levels 499 


31 


Feet. 

West  Adit 100 

East       "      535 

Tr ain  Track.  .  .    430 


Total  length  of  Adit  Tracks 1,065 

Power  of  Lode,  12  feet;  dip  of  Lode,  70°  east.     Strike,  north  and  south. 
Aggregate  amount  of  ore  reduced,  1855,  1,692  tons.     Average  value,  $20. 


KEYSTONE  MINE,  AMADOR,  AMADOR  COUNTY. 

This  mine,  like  that  of  the  Eureka,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  operations  of  the 
State.  The  mine  and  reduction  works  are  situated  but  a  short  distance  west  of 
the  town  of  Amador,  on  a  small  tributary  of  Amador  Creek. 

The  first  permanent  workings  of  this  mine  were  commenced  in  the  early  part 
of  1853,  and  though  superficial  in  their  character,  were  prosecuted  with  vigor  for 
a  considerable  part  of  that  year.  At  the  close  of  1853,  and  in  the  early  part  of 
the  following  year,  the  old  workings  were  abandoned,  from  the  insecurity  of  the 
artificial  supports  used  during  the  preceding  period. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  necessity  of  more  permanent  supports  for  the  exca 
vations  became  apparent  to  the  conductors  of  the  mine,  and  during  that  year 
they  commenced  their  permanent  structures  in  the  underground  operations,  their 
first  movement  being  the  cutting  of  a  main  shaft  of  sufficient  capacity  to  afford 
easy  ingress  and  egress  from  the  main  adit  to  the  lode  below  its  level.  During 
1854  this  shaft  was  driven  to  the  depth  of  eight  fathoms  on  the  vein,  and  con 
forming  to  its  dip,  and  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  was  timbered  heavily  with  oak, 
and  the  angles  snugly  tenoned  and  jointed,  the  ceiling  being  put  in  with  heavy 
planking,  and  closely  squared.  By  this  tedious  and  expensive  process  the  mine 
was  safely  secured  from  falling  in,  the  'upper  part  of  it  at  least,  a  result  which 
must  have  ensued  had  the  old  system  of  working  been  persisted  in.  The  old 
works  above  the  main  adit  were  still  in  a  weak  condition,  and  began  to  present 
many  features  of  falling  in,  and  which  would  have  produced  serious  inconvenience 
had  they  neglected  to  secure  it  in  a  proper  manner. 

An  inclined  shaft  was  accordingly  commenced  that  would  connect  that  sunk 
from  the  end  of  the  adit  with  the  surface,  in  a  direct  line  of  inclination.  This 
was  done  during  1855,  and  the  depth  of  that  portion  of  the  shaft  above  the  adit 
was  seven  fathoms. 

This  whim-shaft  was  cased  with  solid  timber  from  top  to  bottom,  and  put  in 
with  close  joints,  as  it  became  necessary  to  use  this  heavy  material  in  place  of 
planking,  from  the  loose  character  of  the  surrounding  ground.  The  ores  are 
now  raised  by  a  horse  whim,  through  the  line  of  shafting  as  described,  and  landed 
at  the*  end  of  the  main  adit,  from  whence  they  are  conveyed  on  train-ways  to  the 
reduction  works,  about  four  hundred  feet  north  of  the  entrance  to  the  mine. 

During  1855  the  sinking  on  the  lode  in  a  line  with  the  whim-shaft,  has  been 
five  fathoms,  and  from  this  depth  the  lower  level  has  been  driven  one  hundred 
feet  north,  and  south  about  twenty  feet.  The  upper  gallery  has  been  driven  each 
way  but  twenty -five  feet. 

The  lode  at  the  depth  of  twenty-one  fathoms,  has  a  power  of  nine  feet  for  one 
hundred  feet  in  length.  The  ores  of  this  mine  are  highly  pyritous,  and  strongly 
impregnated  with  graphite,  the  latter  mineral  imparting  at  times  a  black,  mottled 
appearance  to  the  ores,  and  at  others  a  ribbond-like  form,  giving  the  idea  of  true 
lumination. 


32 


At  the  depth  of  seventeen  fathoms  the  ores  lose  the  character  of  porosity 
which  in  the  superficial  ores  was  a  striking  characteristic,  the  cavities  containing 
free  gold.  The  walls  of  the  lode  are  of  a  graphic  slate,  often  impregnated  with 
arsenical  crystals  of  iron,  and  the  simple  sulphuret  of  that  metal. 

During  1854  this  company  declared  monthly  dividends  through  the  year  of 
$200  per  share.  The  following  statement  will  show  the  condition  of  the  mine 
and  the  relative  expenses  of  working  for  1854  and  1855  : 

Statistics  for  1854. 

Number  of  men  employed,  eighteen. 

Six  Miners,  per  month $390 

Two  Engineers 180 

Two  Stokers 120 

Two  Battery  Tenders 120 

One  Teamster 70 

One  Blacksmith 70 

One  Carpenter . . . .  70 

Provisions 416 

Incidentals 288 

Eighty-five  cords  Wood  per  month 425 

$2,149 

Supplies,  Repairs,  etc $185 

Dead  Work  and  Improvements 6,181 


Average  ore  reduced  per  month,  192  tuns — 2,204. 

Average  value  per  tun,  $21 $46,284 

Aggregate  monthly  expenses 25,780 

"         deads  and  improvements ' 6,368 

Total  receipts $46,284 

Total  expenses 32,148 

Balance $14,136 

Statistics  for  1855. 

Number  of  men  employed,  twenty. 

Eight  Miners -  .  $420 

Two  Engineers 150 

Four   Stokers 200 

Two  Battery  Tenders 120 

One  Teamster 65 

One  Blacksmith 65 

One  Carpenter 65 

One  Whim  Tender 70 

Incidentals 200 

Seventy-five  cords  Wood,  at  $4  50 336 

Provisions * 400 

$2,091 


33 


Dead  work  and  repairs $'1,200 

Ore  reduced,  3,000  tuns. 

Average  value,  $20  per  tun $60,000 

Aggregate  monthly  expenses 26,282 

"         Deads  and  Improvements 1,200 

Total  Receipts $60,000 

Total  Expenses 27,482 

Balance ,    $32,518 

During  the  month  of  March  a  dividend  of  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per 
share  was  declared,  since  which  period  two  others  have  been  declared,  the  amount 
of  which  is  not  ascertained. 

The  following  recapitulation  will  show  the  amount  of  work  performed  upon  the 
mine : 

RECAPITULATION. 

Fathoms. 

North  Shaft 4 

Main      "      21 

Total 25 

Feet. 

Upper  Gallery 190 

Middle     " 200 

Total , 390 

One  adit  of  140  feet. 

Strike,  north  and  south ;  dip,  east.     Power,  nine  feet. 


UNION  MINE,  SUTTER,  AMADOR  COUNTY. 

The  Union  Mine  is  situated  in  the  town  of  Sutter,  formerly  known  as  Amador 
No.  2. 

This  mine  was  located  in  1852,  though  but  little  work  was  done  upon  the  lode 
during  that  year  or  the  following.  In  1854,  an  attempt  was  made  to  reach  the 
lode  by  driving  an  adit  from  the  west  side  of  the  hill  to  the  length  of  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  feet ;  at  this  point  the  vein  was  tapped  and  worked  with  varia 
ble  success,  but  owing  to  the  insecure  manner  of  supporting  the  walls,  and  a 
rather  reckless  method  of  working  the  lode,  it  became  abandoned  for  the  time 
being  in  order  to  settle  up  the  affairs  of  the  concern. 

The  work  during  this  period  was  performed  under  lease  and  contract — a  most 
disastrous  course  to  pursue  in  gold  mining  in  ttiis  country.  The  result  of  the 
operation  was,  that  at  the  time  the  ninety-foot  level  on  the  south  was  completed, 
the  property  was  in  worse  condition  and  of  less  value,  so  far  as  those  works  were 
concerned,  than  in  the  original  state  in  which  nature  had  placed  it.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1854,  the  company  had  decided  upon  a  systematic  plan  of  working,  and 
in  the  course  of  the  past  year  have  put  that  plan  into  execution. 

The  whole  of  the  old  works  are  abandoned  for  the  present,  and  will  not  be  used 


34 

for  the  extraction  of  ores  until  levels  are  driven  at  the  bottom  of  the  present  main 
shaft,  when  by  stopping  a  winze  between  the  upper  and  lower  levels,  and  putting 
the  main  adit  in  repairs,  good  ventilation  and  an  easy  delivery  of  the  ores  to  the 
surface  will  be  made.  . 

With  tl^is  view,  and  plan  before  them,  the  company  commenced  their  first  per 
manent  operations  in  the  early  part  of  1855  by 'driving  a  six-foot  shaft  in  the  lode 
to  the  depth  of  twenty-seven  fathoms.  The  shaft  is  heavily  timbered  and  planked 
from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  and  is. separated  in  the  center  by  a  partition,  on  each 
side  of  which  a  pair  of  train  rails  are  laid  for  the  purpose  of  guiding  the  "  ribble 
tubs  "  in  which  the  ore  is  placed  to  be  taken  to  the  surface. 

In  all  the  mines  of  this  portion  of  the  State  having  inclined  shafts,  this  system 
is  now  adopted.  Each  tub  when  loaded  will  bring  up  about  four  hundred  pounds 
to  a  cargo. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  twenty-seven  fathom  shaft,  two  levels  have  been  com 
menced,  and  are  driven  north  and  south  about  thirty-five  feet ;  at  the  distance  of 
one  hundred  feet  north  of  the  main  shaft,  another  shaft  has  been  commenced  and 
carried  to  the  depth  of  nine  fathoms. 

At  twelve  fathoms  from  the  surface,  and  connecting  with  the  whim  shaft,  two 
galleries  have  been  driven  of  ninety  feet  each ;  the  south  gallery  connects  with 
the  end  of  the  old  adit  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  may  be  used  for  the 
/transportation  of  ores  at  a  future  day. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  main  shaft  the  lode  has  a  power  of  twelve  feet  and 
possesses  all  the  characteristics  heretofore  mentioned  of  the  lodes  of  'this  part  of 
the  State,  being  more  or  less  pyritous  and  streaked  with  graphite  derived  from 
the  investing  walls  of  the  lode. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  lode  a  rare  feature  is  noticeable  for  this  system  of  veins, 
and  one  wholly  anomalous  in  this  country.  The  ores  are  uniformly  of  a  dark 
color,  with  a  tint  of  blue  in  every  mine  thus  far  opened;  but  the  east  side  of  the 
lode  of  the  Union  carries  a  vein  of  pure  white  quartz,  free  from  sulphurets  or 
other  admixtures,  but  containing  pure  metallic  gold  imbedded  in  coarse  nuggets. 

The  mine  employs  fifteen  men  at  an  average  rate  of  seventy-five  dollars  per 
month  each,  with  board,  and  up  to  the  present  period  has  paid  the  entire  expenses 
of  labor  and  all  the  incidentals  pertaining  to  the  operation  for  the  year,  from  the 
ores  extracted  during  the  opening  of  the  mine. 


RECAPITULATIONS    OF    WORKINGS. 

Fathoms. 

1  shaft  of 27 

1  "  9 

Total ". 36 

Feet. 

2  galleries,  90  feet  each 180 

1  adit,  1854 350 

Strike,  north,  50°  west;  dip,  70°  east.     Power,  12  feet. 


35 


MEDIAN  MINE,  HERBERTVILLE,  AMADOR  COUNTY. 

This  mine  was  located  in  1852,  under  the  name  of  Lea  &  Johnson,  and  during 
1853  a  small  amount  of  work  was  4one  upon  it.  In  1854  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  present  parties,  holding  it  by  purchase.  The  latter  part  of  the  year 
was  spent  in  exploring  the  mine  and  the  extraction  of  ore  preparatory  to  reduc 
tion.  During  the  past  year  the  company  have  erected  their  reduction  works  and 
other  necessary  buildings,  at  an  expense  of  $10,000;  the  power  employed  being 
water.  During  the  past  year  the  lower  south  level  has  been  driven  ninety  feet 
and  a  shaft  sunk  to  the  depth  of  seventeen  fathoms.  From  the  bottom  of  this 
shaft,  which  is  used  for  hoisting  the  ore  from  the  mine  by  a  horse  whim,  a  level 
has  been  driven  fifty  feet,  and  the  distance  between  levels  is  sixty  feet. 

At  this  mine  the  sulphuret  of  molybdenum  occurs  associated  with  lead,  and 
usually  combined  with  the  sulphuret  of  iron  containing  the  gold. 

The  characters  of  the  ores  have  changed  materially  at  the  depth  of  seventeen 
fathoms.  From  the  surface  down  to  the  depth  of  twelve  fathoms  the  pyritous 
minerals  were  much  decomposed,  and  at  times  a  considerable  amount  of  red 
oxide  of  iron  impregnated  the  ore.  At  the  present  time  the  ores  comport  in 
their  dark  blue  color  with  those  of  the  surrounding  district,  being  highly  charged 
with  pyrites  which  develops  gold  after  calcination. 

The  shafts  and  levels  on  the  east  side  of  the  hill  are  not  used  at  present  on 
account  of  their  distance  from  the  reduction  works,  as  a  greater  amount  of 
mineral  is  obtainable  from  the  workings  in  close  proximity  to  the  mill,  the  power 
of  which  latter  is  used  to  raise  the  ores  from  the  mine,  and  a  heavy  item  of 
expense  is  thus  saved  in  teaming. 

The  failure  of  water  to  supply  power  during  the  past  summer,  prevented  the 
reduction  of  ores  beyond  the  period  of  four  months,  which  constituted  the  entire 
running  of  the  mill  for  1855;  but  this  failure  will  probably  be  obviated  the 
coming  year  by  the  introduction  of  a  greater  amount  of  water  from  other  sources. 

The  walls  of  the  lode  are  of  graphic  slate  on  one  side  and  an  impure  serpentine 
rock  on  the  other;  this  latter  is  highly  pyritous,  and  in  the  adjoining  Herbertville 
Mine  has  proved  highly  auriferous.  An  examination  of  this  rock  will  be  found  in 
the  table  of  analysis  and  assay. 

No  statistics  can  be  given  of  receipts  and  expenses,  from  the  short  period  that 
the  mine  was  reducing  ore. 


RECAPITULATION    OF    WORKINGS. 

Feet. 

1  adit 60 

1  level 90 

1  «     50 

2  levels,  1854 '. 30     * 

Whole  amount  levels  and  adit 230 

Fathoms. 

1  shaft 8 

1      «     17 

Whole  amount  shafts 25 

Strike,  north  and  south;  dip,  east  70°.     Power,  9  feet. 


• 

36 


BADGER  MINE,  SUTTER,  AMADOR  COUNTY. 

The  Badger  Mine  is  situated  about  1,000  feet  south  of  the  Eureka,  and  is  a 
continuation  of  the  same  lode.  The  reduction  works  belonging  to  the  company 
are  situated  on  the  creek,  half  a  mile  west  of  the  town. 

This  mine  was  opened  in  1854.  During  that  year  an  adit  was  driven  to  the 
length  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  at  an  average  cost  of  eight  dollars  per  foot. 

Between  the  latter  part  of  that  year  and  the  month  of  December,  1855,  a  shaft 
was  sunk  to  the  depth  of  twenty-nine  fathoms  on  the  lode,  at  an  expense  of  six 
teen  dollars  per  foot,  including  timbers  and  equipments  for  a  whim.  At  the  depth 
of  twenty  fathoms  from  the  surface,  a  level  has  been  carried  north  twenty  feet, 
and  south  to  the  same  distance,  and  at  two  and  a  half  fathoms  below  the  latter 
another  level  has  been  driven  south  of  the  main  shaft  to  the  same  distance. 

From  the  bottom  of  the  twenty-ninth  fathom  shaft,  a  level  has  been  driven 
south  sixty  feet  and  north  fifty  feet.  A  winze  is  carried  from  the  middle  level  to 
the  lower  one,  through  the  depth  of  five  and  a  half  fathoms  from  the  end  of  the 
south  level,  and  the  ground  intervening  between  the  end  of  the  middle  south 
level  is  being  removed  in  order  to  connect  the  two  at  the  depth  of  sixty  feet  south 
of  the  main  shaft. 

From  the  latter  part  of  1854  up  to  date,  the  company  have  erected  their  reduc 
tion  works  and  other  necessary  buildings  at  an  expense  of  $12,000,  and  an  addi 
tional  expense  of  $2,500  in  the  construction  of  roads  and  kilns  for  the  conveyance 
and  calcination  of  their  ores. 

The  character  of  the  ores  of  this  mine  are  precisely  of  the  same  character  as 
those  of  the  Eureka,  next  adjoining  on  the  north. 

The  average  running  time  of  the  mine  during  1855,  amounts  to  six  months 
only,  and  a  scanty  supply  of  water  part  of  the  time. 

The  power  of  this  lode  has  increased  about  thirty  per  cent,  at  the  bottom  of 
the  shaft  over  the  size  at  the  anterop.  The  ores  are  heavily  charged  with  arsenic, 
iron  and  molybdic  sulphurets,  in  which  free  gold  is  disseminated. 

The  amount  of  assessments  called  on  the  opening  of  the  mine  and  the  erec 
tion  of  their  works,  was  five  hundred  dollars  per  share,  of  five  shares,  and  the 
balance  of  expenses  for  the  period  which  they  have  been  in  operation,  has  been 
derived  entirely  from  the  proceeds  in  the  opening  of  the  mine. 

The  mine  has  employed  during  the  entire  year  twelve  men,  at  an  average  of 
sixty-five  dollars  per  month  and  board. 

The  following  statistics  will  show  the  general  expenses  incurred  in  getting  into 
operation : 

Cost  of  Mill  and  Equipments $12,000 

"       Main  Adit  .... .  Y    .  . ; 2,800 

"       Roads  and  Kilns 2,500 

"       Teaming  1,080  tuns  ore 1,080 

"       Shaft,  Timbers  and  Equipments 2,820 

"       Fuel 192 

Total  general  expenses $21,392 

The  average  amount  of  ore  reduced  per  month,  with  full  head  of  water,  is  one 
hundred  and  eighty  tuns.  The  aggregate  for  the  six  months  was  1,080  tuns, 
yielding  $35,000,  or  nearly  thirty-'three  dollars  per  tun. 

The  condition  of  the  subterranean  condition  of  the  mine  will  be  found  from  the 
following  recapitulation : 


RECAPITULATION. 

Feet. 

1  Adit 350 

1  .Level,  upper , 20 

1       "         "       20 

1      "      middle 20 

1      "      lower 60 

1      "          «      50 

Total  Levels  .                                                                       .  170 


Fathoms. 

1  Main  Shaft  ......  .  ..........  .  ......  .  ..............    29 

1  Winze  ...........................................      5-J- 


Total  Shafts 


Strike,  north  and  south  ;  dip,  east  70°.    Power,  four  feet.    Working  twenty-six 
fathoms  below  water  line. 


HERBERTVILLE  MINE,  SUTTER,  AMADOR  COUNTY. 

This  mine  has  been  alluded  to  in  former  reports,  and  is  among  the  earliest  that 
were  opened  in  this  State.  Its  operations  have  continued  almost  uninterrupted 
until  during  the  past  year.  During  this  year  but  a  small  amount  of  ore  has  been 
reduced,  in  consequence  of  the  failure  of  water  to  supply  the  motive  power,  the 
company  having  removed  their  engine  on  the  erection  of  their  large  water-wheel 
in  the  latter  part  of  1854. 

This  has  proved  a  serious  inconvenience,  not  only  to  this  company  but  also  the 
Midian,  adjoining,  both  of  which  were  dependent  on  the  water  of  an  adjoining 
canal  to  continue  operations  in  reduction. 

After  the  failure  of  the  water  the  Director  of  the  mine  continued  the  sinking 
of  the  two  whim-shafts,  and  the  driving  of  the  levels  between  them.  Little,  there 
fore,  has  been  done  other  than  to  open  the  mine  to  a  greater  extent  than  formerlj 
existed.  This  has  been  done  at  a  heavy  expense,  and  the  small  amount  of  ore  re 
duced  has  nearly  met  the  liabilities  incurred. 

The  condition  of  the  mine  at  the  close  of  1854  was  as  follows: 

The  south  shaft  had  been  sunk  to  the  depth  of  twenty-three  and  a  half  fathoms 
and  the  north  shaft  to  sixteen  fathoms,  with  levels,  uniting  the  shafts  which  are 
distant  from  each  other,  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  and  extending  beyond  the 
shafts  the  length  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  inclusive. 

The  work  this  past  year  consists  in  the  sinking  of  the  south  shaft  to  the  depth 
of  thirty-six  fathoms  and  the  north  shaft  to  thirty  fathoms.  From  the  bottom  of 
the  thirty-six-fathom  shaft,  levels  have  been  driven  each  way  and  between  shafts 
to  the  length  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  the  middle  gallery  to  the  length 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  and  the  upper  gallery  two  hundred  and  thirty 
feet;  distance  between  levels  sixty  feet. 

At  this  depth  the  ore  maintains  the  same  features  as  formerly,  being  highly  py- 
ritous. 


38 


RECAPITULATION. 

Fathoms. 

1  North  Shaft. 30 

1  South       "    36 

Total  Shafts 66 

Feet 

Lower  Level 320 

Middle     " 180 

Upper      " 230 


Total  levels 730 

Power,  10  feet;  dip,  68°  E.;  strike,  N.  18°  W. 
Working,  28  fathoms  below  water  line. 


ROCKY  BAR  MINE,  GRASS  VALLEY,  NEVADA  COUNTY. 

The  Rocky  Bar  Mining  Company  was  organized  and  went  into  operation  as  a 
gold  mining  company  in  the  early  part  of  1852.  The  grounds  belonging  to  this 
company  are  situated  on  Massachusetts  Hill  and  upon  Gold  Hill,  in  the  town 
above  mentioned. 

Owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  season  at  which  they  commenced  operations,  and 
the  sudden  advent  of  the  rains  when  but  a  small  part  of  their  adits  and  shafts 
were  completed,  they  were  obliged  to  relinquish  the  working  on  Massachusetts 
Hill  for  the  balance  of  the  season,  or  until  the  rains  should  cease,  their  works  not 
being  in  condition  to  afford  sufficient  drainage. 

*  The  company,  therefore,  proceeded  to  purchase  a  group  of  claims  on  Gold  Hill, 
from  which  they  commenced  the  extraction  of  ore,  and  its  reduction  by  the  ma 
chinery  which  they  had  erected.  The  reduction  continued  until  the  month  of 
June,  at  which  time  the  company  settled  up  their  affairs ;  and  it  was  found  that, 
notwithstanding  the  inordinate  high  price  of  labor  and  necessaries,  that  the  com 
pany  had  met  the  outlays,  which  amounted  to  $47,000. 

This  was  accomplished  in  the  face  of  every  obstacle  which  the  times  in  which 
they  operated  presented ;  and  those  acquainted  with  those  early  days  are  best 
capable  of  judging  what  men  engaged  in  this  branch  of  employment  had,  as  a 
resultant,  to  encounter. 

At  the  close  of  1852  the  condition  of  the  workings  on  Massachusetts  Hill  were 
as  follows : 

An  adit  had  been  driven  two  hundred  feet,  mostly  through  soft  material,  at  an 
expense  of  ten  dollars  per  foot,  and  another  below  it,  of  the  same  length,  through 
hard  trap  rock,  at  an  expense  of  $8,000. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  five  shafts,  averaging  fifty-five  feet  in  depth,  were  sunk, 
at  an  expense  of  $500.  On  Gold  Hill,  two  shafts  of  fifty  feet  each,  at  the  same 
cost  as  the  above. 

From  the  first  part  of  1853  up  to  the  latter  part  of  1854  but  little  work  was 
done  upon  the  mine,  from  some  dissatisfaction  of  the  stockholders  abroad.  At 
this  period  the  resumption  of  operations  took  place  under  a  new  Director,  who 
has  proceeded  to  erect  a  system  of  working  similar  to  that  proposed  in  1853,  to 
free  the  mine  from  water,  which  was  the  only  impediment  to  progress  at  the  time 
the  operations  were  relinquished.  The  present  Director  has  erected  a  fourteen 
horse-power  engine  near  the  summit  of  the  hill  and  near  the  lode,  and  by  the  use 


39 

of  heavy  pumps  succeeded  in  freeing  the  mine  and  sinking  a  whim-shaft  in  con 
nection,  that  now  affords  easy  communication  and  ample  facilities  for  all  the 
underground  operations  that  may  be  required. 

The  depth  of  the  engine  shaft  is  twenty  fathoms,  with  a  diameter  of  eleven 
feet  by  six.  It  is  well  timbered  and  planked,  and  divided  by  partitions  in  such  a 
manner  that  no  impediments  can  interfere  with  the  working,  caused  by  ingress  or 
egress  and  the  many  other  incidents  that  occur  in  operations  of  this  character. 

From  the  bottom  of  the  shaft,  an  adit  level  has  been  driven  eastward  two  hun 
dred  and  ten  feet,  and  another  westward  one  hundred  and  forty  feet,  each  being 
well  timbered  and  ceiled,  and  the  whole  mechanical  department  is  done  in  a  strong 
and  workmanlike  manner. 

The  amount  expended  in  dead  work,  in  the  re-opening  of  this  mine,  inclusive 
of  the  engine,  has  amounted  to  $25,000,  and  the  enhancement  in  value  to  the 
property  is  more  than  double  that  sum.  In  the  month  of  December  little  more 
than  1,000  tuns  of  ore  had  been  removed  and  reduced  since  the  lode  had  been 
reached,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  with  the  prospects  before  them,  there 
appeared  a  disposition  among  some  of  the  stockholders  to  withhold  the  necessary 
means  that  would  place  their  property  on  a  stable  foundation  and  valuable 
source  of  profit  for  many  years  to  come.  There  requires  an  outlay  at  the  present 
time  of  a  sum  not  less  than  $23,000,  to  put  that  mine  in  what  would  be  consid 
ered  a  safe  and  good  condition  for  future  operations.  The  pump  shaft  should  be 
carried  to  a  depth  of  not  less  than  thirty-six  fathoms,  in  order  to  be  able  to 
remove  the  ore  on  the  lode  to  advantage,  and  not  subject  themselves  to  the  neces 
sity  of  skinning  where  the  lode  is  at  any  moment  liable  to  become  pinched,  from 
its  loose  and  decomposed  character.  There  is  more  of  irregularity  in  lodes  where 
much  decomposition  of  their  mineral  constituents  has  occurred,  and  more  liability 
of  nipping  out  in  such  cases,  and  should  such  an  accident  occur  in  any  mine,  it 
will  frequently  cost  a  greater  sum  to  obtain  it  again  than  it  would  to  have  sunk  to 
the  firm  rock,  inclosing  it  in  the  first  place  at  a  greater  depth. 

Another  improvement  at  this  mine  is  most  obviously  required.  This  is  the 
erection  of  their  own  reduction  works ;  nearly  one-third  of  the  amount  that 
would  be  required  to  erect  a  battery  of  sufficient  capacity,  and  the  necessary 
equipments,  has  been  expended  during  the  three  months  that  they  had  been  redu 
cing  ores,  or  up  to  the  middle  of  December. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  proprietors  of  this  mine  may  not  be  blind  to  their 
own  interests  to  that  extent  as  to  allow  so  valuable  a  mine  as  they  evidently  pos 
sess,  to  remain  a  second-rate  affair,  when  such  fair  prospects  of  large  returns  are 
manifest  as  in  the  lode  which  constitutes  their  property.  But  it  will  be  impossi 
ble  to  make  that  mine  what  it  ought  to  be,  with  so  small  an  expenditure  of  that 
which  has  been  applied  to  its  opening. 

.  No  person  in  the  slightest  degree  familiar  with  mining  operations,  can  expect 
that  the  bare  opening  of  the  mine  will  in  all  cases  pay  not  only  expenses  but  a 
dividend  on  the  investment,  yet  such  seems  to  be  the  prevailing  idea  even  at  this 
late  day,  with  the  experience  of  years  before  them  to  the  contrary.  And  it  cer 
tainly  seems  singular  our  friends  abroad  should  expect- such  a  thing,  as  they  man 
ifestly  do  under  the  circumstances. 

Those  who  will  examine  this  mine,  and  the  work  that  has  been  performed  upon 
it  in  its  re-opening,  cannot  but  conclude  that  the  money  has  been  judiciously 
expended,  and  the  only  thing  to  regret  is,  that  a  sufficient  amount  was  not  invested 
at  once  to  do  the  work  which  is  absolutely  necessary. 

*The  following  statistics  will  show  the  present  condition  of  this  mine,  its 
expenses  and  receipts : 


40 

Number  of  men  employed,  thirty-four. 

20  Miners,  at  $4  per  day $1,920 

6  Stokers,  at  $3  per  day 432 

2  Engineers,  at  $125  per  month 250 

2  Whim  Tenders,  $100  per  month 200 

1  Blacksmith,  $100  per  month 100 

1  Carpenter,  $100  per  month 100 

2  Carmen,  $80  per  month 160 

•                Incidentals 200 

$3,362 

Aggregate  amount  of  ore  reduced  in  three  months,  1,000  tuns.     Aver 
age  value,  $40  per  tun $40,000 

Cost  of  reduction,  at  $6  per  tun 6,000 

Length  of  East  Adit,  210  feet,  cost  $5  50  per  foot 1,155 

"         West  Adit,  140  feet,         "  «       ' 740 

Depth  of  engine  shaft,  20  fathoms. 

Aggregate  expenses  on  mine  for  three  months $10,086 

Aggregate  of  dead  work,  and  value  of  engine  since  re-opening 25,000 

Aggregate  receipts $40,000 

Whole  amount  Adit  Levels,  350  feet. 
"  Shafts,  20  fathoms. 

Working  eighty  feet  below  water  line,  pump  discharges  260  gallons  per  min 
ute. 


BOSTON   MINE,    GRASS   VALLEY,   NEVADA   COUNTY. 

This  mine  is  at  present  owned  by  a  French  company.  No  general  history  of 
the  mine  was  obtained.  The  following  are  their  statistics  for  1854  and  1855  as 
nearly  as  they  could  be  obtained : 

Statistics  for  1854. 

Number  of  men  employed,  nine. 

4  miners,  $5  per  day $480 

2  engineers,  $160  per  month . , • 320 

1  battery  tender 120 

21  cords  wood  per  day,  $4  50 264 

2  stokers 160 

Incidentals  . ,  280 


$1,624 
Amount  of  ore  reduced  per  day,  13  tuns  ;  average  value  $15. 

Aggregate  receipts  for  9  months $36,630 

expenses  14,616 

Balance  in  favor $22,014 


41 


Statistics  for  1855. 

4  miners $384 

2  engineers 200 

1  battery  tender - 100 

2J  cords  wood  per  day,  $3  50 192 

2  stokers 160 

Incidentals 200 

$1,236 
Ore  reduced  per  month,  338  tuns  ;  average  value  $15. . .   $4,010 

Aggregate  receipts  for  8  months $32,560 

"         expenses          "  9,888 


Balance  in  favor $22,672 

The  workings  of  this  mine  thus  far  have  been  confined  mostly  to  the  surface. 
No  considerable  depth  has  as  yet  been  attained  upon  the  lode.  The  affairs  of 
the  company  appear  to  be  managed  in  a  prudent  and  economical  manner.  Their 
machinery  is  light  but  effective  for  its  weight. 


OSBORN    HILL   MINE,    GRASS   VALLEY,    NEVADA   COUNTY. 

The  Osborn  Hill  Mine  and  that  of  the  Lawrence  Hill,  adjoining,  and  which  is 
the  property  of  one  company,  are  situated  about  two  miles  east  of  the  town.  The 
reduction  works  of  the  company  are  situated  on  Wolf  Creek,  near  the  middle  of 
the  village.  The  mine  was  one  of  the  earliest  that  was  opened  in  the  State,  and 
has  continued  in  active  operation  since  the  early  part  of  1853.  As  was  the  usual 
case  with  most  of  the  veins  that  were  worked  during  that  period,  this  mine,  like 
others,  was  worked  without  much  system  until  the  latter  part  of  1853,  when  the 
company  adopted  a  much  more  systematic  course  than  had  been  N  previously 
observed. 

During  1853  the  following  work  was  done  upon  the  lode  of  Osborn  Hill :  An 
adit  was  driven  to  the  intersection  of  the  vein  on  one  side,  to  the  length  of  one 
hundred  and  ninety  feet.  At  the  contact  the  lode  was  found  to  have  a  dip  of 
twenty-seven  degrees.  From  the  termination  of  the  adit  two  levels  were  carried 
to  the  length  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  each,  and  one  winze  sunk  to  the 
depth  of  twenty-five  feet.  At  the  bottom  of  the  four-fathom  winze  the  lode  had 
acquired  an  angle  of  forty-one  degrees.  Subsequent  to  this  another  adit  was 
commenced  fifty  feet  below  the  former  and  carried  to  the  length  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet,  the  last  fifty  feet  of  which  was  carried  into  the  green-stone 
trap,  which  was  very  hard  and  compact. 

From  the  very  heavy  expenses  attending  the  driving  in  this  rock  and  the  great 
distance  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  carry  it,  the  enterprise  was  abandoned. 

At  this  time  there  was  considerable  water  in  the  mine,  and  as  the  season 
advanced  it  was  judged  most  prudent  to  abandon  this  part  of  the  lode  for  the 
present  and  attack  it  at  a  more  advantageous  point,  with  the  exception  of  the 
extraction  of  such  ores  as  were  available  above  the  points  of  drainage.  Accord 
ingly  in  1854  the  lode  was  opened  on  Lawrence  Hill  some  six  hundred  feet  to 

6 


42 


the  north  of  the  old  workings.  On  this  hill  the  company  put  in  what  may  be 
considered  their  first  permanent  workings. 

On  this  hill  they  commenced  and  carried  down  a  large  whim  shaft  to  the  depth 
of  nineteen  fathoms.  From  the  bottom  of  this  shaft  a  level  was  carried  north 
about  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  and  south  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet.  These 
two  levels  laid  out  a  heavy  bed  of  good  ore  two  hundred  and  ninety  feet  in  length. 

The  advantage  of  this  deep  whim  shaft  will  become  apparent  when  it  is  stated, 
that  it  cuts  the  lode  fourteen  fathoms  below  the  lowest  point  worked  in  the  old 
operations  of  1853,  and  for  a  length  of  six  hundred  feet  will  drain  that  part  of 
the  mine,  thus  affording  an  opportunity  to  extract  that  mass  of  ore  at  any  future 
day.  During  1855  the  works  have  been  continued  in  this  part  of  the  mine.  The 
north  level  is  carried  to  the  length  of  two  hundred  feet,  and  the  south  level  to 
one  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  On  the  north  level  two  winzes  have  been  sunk  to 
the  depth  of  five  fathoms,  and  on  the  south  level  one  winze  to  the  same  depth. 
A  breast  of  fifty  feet  has  been  carried  down  to  the  depth  of  six  fathoms  below 
the  winzes.  The  lode  is  now  opened  and  in  condition  for  drainage  to  the  depth 
of  twenty  fathoms  below  the  old  workings  and  with  which  the  vein  is  continuous, 
and  will  keep  the  mine  clear  of  water  to  the  depth  of  thirty-nine  fathoms  for  the 
length  of  eight  hundred  feet  south.  The  engine  now  discharges  the  water  from 
the  main  shaft,  and  with  its  lateral  attachments,  to  the  depth  of  one  hundred  and 
forty-two  feet. 

The  cost  of  sinking  the  engine  shaft  was  thirty-three  dollars  per  foot,  and  in 
fact  the  best  investment  ever  made  upon  the  mine.  They  are  now  working  sixty- 
eight  feet  below  the  water  line  on  this  part  of  the  lode. 

The  following  statistics  will  show  the  comparative  expenses  of  working  during 
1854  and  1855 : 


Statistics  for  1854. 

20  Miners,  $80  per  month $1,600 

2  Engineers,  $112     "         225 

2  Battery  Tenders 150 

5  Stokers 250 

2  Shaft  Tenders 200 

1  Blacksmith 75 

1  Carpenter 75 

2|  cords  wood  per  day,  at  $4  50 240 

Teaming 900 


Total $3,715 

Dead  work  on  engine  shaft  at  $33  per  foot $3,828 

Average  amount  ore  reduced  per  month,  tuns 520 

Average  yield  per  tun 29 

Average  yield  per  month 14,880 

Aggregate  yield  for  7  months $104,160 

Aggregate  expenses  for  12  months 48,408 

Balance  in  favor $55,752 


43 


Statistics  for  1855. 

18  Miners,  at  $75  per  month $1,350 

2  Engineers  at  mill 200 

2         "         at  mine 160 

2  Battery  Tenders 120 

2  Shaft         " 120 

3  Stokers 150 

1  Carpenter 65 

1  Blacksmith 65 

2|  cords  wood,  at  $3 156 

Teaming,  $20  per  day 480 


Total $2,866 

Engine  and  dead  work  for  mine $10,000 

Amount  ore  reduced  per  month,  tuns '. 520 

Average  value  per  tun $25 

Aggregate  receipts  for  6  months $78,000 

Aggregate  expenses  for  12  months 44,828 

Balance  in  favor $33,172 


RECAPITULATION    OF   WORKINGS. 

For  1853. 

Feet 

1  Adit 190 

1  "    125 

Total  Adits 215 

2  Levels,  120  feet  each 240 

1  Winze,  5  fathoms  ;  6  Shafts,  240  feet. 

For  1854. 

Fathoms. 

1  Whim  Shaft 19 

Feet. 

1  Level,  north 160 

1     "       south..  130 


Total  Levels..  290 


44 


For  1855. 

1  Level,  north 40 

1     "      south 30 

Total  Levels 70 

Fathoms. 

3  Winzes,  5  fathoms  each 15 

1  Breast 6 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  during  those  periods  in  which  improvements 
are  going  on,  the  companies  are  obliged  to  retain  their  men  at  ruling  rates, 
though  no  ores  are  reduced  in  the  interim.  This  frequently  subjects  them  to 
heavy  expenses,  as  in  the  case  before  us,  and  also  with  most  of  the  other  mines  in 
the  State  who  'date  their  opening  in  1852  and  1853. 

The  ores  of  this  mine  still  retain'their  peculiar  characteristics  as  in  the  preced 
ing  year ;  the  arsenical  sulphurets  predominating. 


EMPIRE  MINE,  GRASS  VALLEY,  NEVADA  COUNTY. 

The  reductions  of  this  company  are  situated  in  the  town  of  Grass  Valley. 

The  lodes,  which  constitute  this  mine,  are  situated  one  upon  Ophir  Hill  and 
another  upon  the  hill  known  as  the  Ben  Franklin,  and  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
east  of  the  town. 

The  company  commenced  its  operation  in  1852,  and  have  continued  almost 
uninteruptedly  since  .that  year,  or  more  particularly  so  from  the  early  part  of 
1853. 

Most  of  the  workings  during  1853  were  of  the  superficial  character  that  was 
so  general  throughout  the  State  in  this  department  of  mining,  owing  to  the  then 
prevailing  idea  that  was  promulgated  by  pretenders,  that  the  lodes  would,  in  all 
probability,  give  out  at  small  depths  below  the  surface. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1854,  the  company,  like  their  neighbors  of  Osborn  Hill, 
commenced  their  first  permanent  improvements.  This  was  done  by  sinking  a 
large  whim  shaft  to  the  depth  of  seventeen  fathoms,  and  the  driving  of  a  series 
of  adits  and  levels  from  the  bottom  of  the  shaft. 

The  opening  consisted  in  driving  what  are  known  as  the  east  and  west  levels, 
which  are  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  apart. 

The  west  level  was  driven  north  of  the  main  shaft  three  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,  and  south  of  the  same  one  hundred  and  forty  feet ;  and  the  east  level  cor 
responding  to  the  former. 

Between  the  levels  and  south  of  the  shaft  two  winzes  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  each  were  driven,  and  north  of  the  shaft  another  winze  of  the  same 
length  and  which  extended  east  of  the  east  level  sixty  feet,  connecting  with 
another  smaller  level  which  had  been  driven  to  the  length  of  ninety  feet ;  a  winze, 
one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  was  also  carried  to  the  depth  of  thirty-five  feet 
between  the  east  and  west  galleries,  and  was  subsequently  carried  entirely 
through  to  the  depth  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet. 

The  mine  was,  therefore,  divided  into  six  compartments  of  about  one  hundred 
feet  square,  and  all  connected  directly  with  the  main  shaft,  affording  easy  com 
munication  with  the  surface  and  the  advantage  of  uninterrupted  workings  in  all 
parts  of  the  mine. 


45 


During  1855,  a  large  proportion  of  this  ore  was  sloped  out  and  reduced,  and 
at  the  time  I  visited  the  mine  the  company  had  commenced  opening  another 
level  one  hundred  and  seven  feet  west  of  the  engine  shaft,  and  had  made  a 
cross-cut  seventy-six  feet  in  length. 

On  the  Ben  Franklin  lode  an  adit  had  been  driven  one  hundred  and  seventy 
feet,  at  which  point  the  vein  was  cut,  and  a  level  was  being  driven  to  the  south, 
which,  in  December,  had  attained  the  length  of  thirty-five  feet.  A  considerable 
body  of  ore  had  been  delivered  to  the  surface,  having  many  of  the  characteristics 
of  Ophir  Hill. 

The  character  of  the  ores  of  this  lode  are  such,  that  the  gold  which  it  contains, 
is  in  a  free  state,  owing  to  the  extensive  decomposition  of  the  pyritous  elements 
originally  contained  within  it.  There  are  some  portions,  however,  which  require 
calcination,  in  order  to  liberate  the  metal.  The  depth  of  seventeen  fathoms  has 
not  been  sufficient  to  produce  a  solid  wall  to  the  lode,  though  all  the  mines  which 
have  opened  in  this  vicinity  have  presented  this  feature  usually  at  about  half  that 
depth. 

From  the  position  of  the  green-stone,  it  is  highly  probable  that  a  few  feet  below 
their  present  workings,  this  rock  will  be  met,  as  in  the  adjacent  country. 

The  following  statistics  will  give  the  operations  of  this  mine  for  1854  and  1855  : 


Statistics  for  1854. 

Number  of  men  employed,  thirty-six. 

20  Miners,  $5  per  day $2,400 

6  Stokers,  $4     u        576 

2  Engineers,  mine 200 

2           "         mill.... 260 

2  Battery  Tenders 180 

2  Shaft  Stokers 120 

1  Amalgamator 1 30 

1  Carpenter 130 

1  Blacksmith 130 

4  cords  Wood  per  day,  $4  50  per  cord 432 

Teaming,  $25  per  day : 600 

Total $5,158 

Sinking  Engine  Shaft 1,500 

Aggregate  expenses  for  10  months $51,580 

Dead  work  . 1,500 


Total  expenses $53,080 

Aggregate  ore  reduced,  5,200  tuns. 

Aggregate  value  ore  reduced. 130,000 

Balance  in.  favor $76,120 


46 


Statistics  for  1855. 

Number  of  men  employed,  thirty-eight. 

21  Miners,  at  $4  per  day $2,184 

6  Stokers 432 

2  Engineers,  mine 180 

2         "           mill 200 

2  Battery  Tenders 180 

2  Shaft  Stokers » . . .  120 

1  Amalgamator 100 

1  Carpenter 100 

1  Blacksmith 100 

4  cords  Wood  per  day,  $3  per  cord 288 

Teaming 500 

Incidentals  .  500 


Total $4,884 

Aggregate  expenses  for  9  months $43,884 

Dead  work 2,000 

Total  expenses $45,884 

Aggregate  ore  reduced,  4,680  tuns. 

*"  Aggregate  value,  at  $25  per  tun 116,000 

Balance  in  favor $70,000 

In  regard  to  the  figures  given,  touching  the  valuation  of  ores  not  only  of  this 
mine  but  those  of  several  others,  I  will  state  that  I  am  fully  aware  that  they  are 
actually  below  what  they  have  averaged  for  months  consecutively ;  and  in  these 
statements  I  prefer  to  err  by  being  below  the  absolute  yield  than  to  commit  an 
error  in  being  above  their  value. 

My  object  and  aim  in  these  statements  has  been  to  place  the  results  of  these 
adventures  before  the  public  in  such  a  form  as  will  have  a  tendency  to  convey  a 
more  lucid  idea  of  the  probabilities  of  success  or  failure  in  this  branch  of  employ 
ment.  In  giving  these  figures,  it  may  be  that  I  have  overstepped  the  bounds  of 
prudence,  and  perhaps,  to  some  extent,  the  confidence  of  those  who  have  from 
time  to  time  furnished  me  with  the  statistics  of  their  operations ;  and  if  so,  my 
only  apology  for  so  doing  is,  that  we  have  arrived  at  that  period  in  our  history 
when  it  has  become  incumbent  upon  us  to  demonstrate  the  practicability  or  im 
practicability  of  operations  of  this  kind  within  this  State,  and  to  divest  the  busi 
ness,  as  much  as  possible,  of  either  the  suspicion  that  rests  upon  it,  arising  from 
the  precedents  of  gold  mining  in  other  States  and  countries,  or,  the  surmises  of  suc 
cess  or  failure,  by  which  it  is  at  present  encompassed. 

Original  capital  paid  in  (cash) $32,000 

Nominal  capital 600,000 

Month  of  August,  one  dividend  on  nominal  capital,  1  per  cent. 

"  September,         "  "  "          £       " 

.  "  October,    '         «  "  "          i       " 


HELVETIA  AND  LAFAYETTE  MINE,  LAFAYETTE  HILL,  GRASS  VAL 
LEY,  NEVADA  COUNTY. 

The  above  mine  was  located  in  1851,  and  soon  after  its  location  the  company 
commenced  operations  in  the  opening  of  their  lode.  It  was  not,  however,  until 
the  early  part  of  1852  that  any  considerable  amount  of  excavation  was  made;  and 
it  is  from  this  period  that  the  mine  should  date  its  beginning. 

During  the  general  crash  that  befel  most  of  the  gold  mines  in  that  year,  this 
company  pursued  a  uniform  and  continued  course  of  working  throughout  the 
panic,  and  carried  their  operations  through,  almost  uninterrupted,  up  to  the  pres 
ent  date.  It  is  therefore  one  of  the  oldest  established  mines  in  the  State,  and 
ranks  one  of  the  first  among  the  pioneers  of  gold  mining  in  California. 

From  the  first  opening  of  the  lode  on  Lafayette  Hill,  up  to  the  close  of  1855, 
the  reduction  works  of  the  mine  were  situated  nearly  two  miles  from  their  vein  ; 
they  have,  consequently,  been  subjected  to  a  heavy  expense  in  transporting  their 
ores  to  the  mill.  During  1855  they  have  erected  a  new  and  capacious  mill  di 
rectly  upon  their  lode,  the  machinery  of  the  reduction  works  doing  nearly  all  the 
labor  of  hoisting  of  ores,  pumping,  etc.,  that  had  previously  been  done  by  hand, 
on  the  mine. 

During  the  years  1852  and  1853  the  workings  on  the  lode  at  Lafayette  Hill 
consisted  in  the  following  amounts : 

An  adit  was  carried  from  the  north  side  of  the  hill  to  the  length  of  two  hun 
dred  feet,  and  from  the  end  of  this  a  level  was  commenced  and  driven  on  the  vein 
to  the  length  of  eleven  hundred  feet,  at  an  average  depth  of  nine  fathoms  below 
the  surface.  On  the  strike  of  the  vein  some  eight  shafts  were  sunk,  four  of  which 
were  nine  fathoms,  three  eleven  fathoms,  and  one  thirteen  fathoms ;  each  of 
these  shafts  were  supplied  with  a  hand-windlass,  and  from  most  of  them  ores  were 
delivered  to  the  surface  alternately. 

After  the  level  had  been  carried  through,  and  a  connection  formed  with  the 
surface  by  means  of  the  adit,  the  shaft  delivery  of  ores  was  abandoned,  and  the 
mineral  matter  taken  to  the  surface  by  the  latter  means.  During  1854  all  the 
ores  were  taken  out  by  this  channel  on  train-ways  laid  for  the  purpose. 

During  1854  the  underground  workings  consisted  in  breasting  down  the  lode 
for  nearly  its  entire  length,  which  was  carried  to  the  depth  of  seven  fathoms. 
The  walls  of  the  lode  being  for  the  best  nine  fathoms,  a  very  compact  and  hard 
greenstone  trap,  the  lode  and  walls  requiring  blasting  every  foot  that  was  exca 
vated. 

During  the  year  1855  the  company  have'  completed  the  erection  of  their  new 
mill,  as  above  mentioned,  and  the  subterranean  workings  to  connect  with  it,  are 
as  follows : 

From  the  end  of  the  adit  a  heavy  cross-cut  has  been  carried  northward  forty- 
six  feet,  at  an  average  expense  of  forty  dollars  per  foot ;  at  the  end  of  this  a  shaft 
(engine  shaft)  six  feet  by  eight,  has  been  sunk  to  the  depth  of  fifteen  fathoms, 
heavily  timbered  and  planked  throughout.  The  cross-cut  connects  with  the  1,100 
feet  level,  and  thus  easy  and  efficient  communication  is  established  with  the  sur 
face  of  the  mine  throughout. 

From  the  bottom  of  the  engine  shaft  a  level  is  to  be  driven  during  the  coming 
year,  the  end  of  which  is  to  be  equal  to  that  of  the  main  level  of  1,100  feet,  and 
at  its  completion  a  body  of  ore  will  be  placed  in  position  to  be  sloped  down,  hav 
ing  an  average  depth  of  twenty-eight  fathoms  below  the  present  line  of  workings. 
This,  it  will  be  seen,  will  afford  facilities  for  obtaining  ore  to  any  amount  that  may 
be  desired  for  at  least  three  years  to  come. 

The  reduction  of  ores  during  the  past  year,  have  not  been  as  extensive  as  for- 


48 1  •  . 

merly,  from  the  fact  of  heavy  and  costly. improvements  going  on,  and  the  desire 
to  avoid  the  burdensome  expense  of  the  transportation  of  ores  to  such  a  long  dis 
tance.  This  expense  will  be  entirely  saved  during  the  coming  year,  and  will  mate 
rially  increase  the  net  receipts  to  an  amount  little  short  of  $11,00.0. 

The  greatest  depth  attained  in  the  lode,  at  the  close  of  1855,  was  twenty-four 
fathoms ;  at  this  point  the  vein  carries  a  power  of  four  feet.  At  this  depth  there 
appears  to  be  a  material  change  in  the  mineral  character  of  the  ore  from  that  of 
the  preceding  year,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  a  slight  increase  of  the  arsen 
ical  sulphurets,  but  even  this  is  questionable. 

Lead  and  a  small  quantity  of  molybdenum,  with  occasional  traces  of  zinc  as 
formerly,  are  among  the  products  of  the  ore. 

The  following  statistics  will  furnish  some  additional  information  of  the  opera 
tions  of  this  mine,  and  also  its  present  working  condition : 


Statistics  for  1854. 

Number  of  men  employed,  twenty-four. 

16  Miners,  at  $100 $1,600 

2  Engineers,  at  $125 250 

2  Battery  Tenders,  at  $100 200 

2  Stokers,  at  $75 150 

1  Blacksmith 125 

1   Carpenter 125 

2£  cords  Wood,  at  $4  50 299 

Teaming,  $30  per  day 780 

Incidentals 650 

$3,529 

Aggregate  ore  reduced  in  eight  months,  4,160  tuns. 

Average  yield,  at  $18  per  tun $74,880 

Amount  dead  work 6,450 

Total  receipts $74,880 

Total  expenses 42,348 

Balance $32,532 


Statistics  for  1855. 

Number  of  men  employed,  forty-five. 

34  Miners,  at  $80 ". $2,720 

2  Engineers,  at  $125 250 

2  Battery  Tenders 200 

4  Stokers,  at  $55 .  220 

1  Blacksmith 125 

1  Carpenter 125 

2-|-  cords  Wood,  at  $3 195 

Teaming,  $30  per  day 780 

Incidentals 650 

$5,265 


49 

Aggregate  ore  reduced  in  eight  months,  4,000  tuns. 

Average  yield,  at  $25  per  tun $100,000 

Dead  work  on  mine 30,000 

Cost  of  Mill 20,000 

Total  receipts $100,000 

Total  expenses 92,120 


Balance $7,880 

Below  will  be  found  a  recapitulation  of  the  condition  of  the  mine  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1856. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Feet. 

1  adit „ 200 

1   level 1,100 

Fathoms. 

4  shafts,  each 9 

3      "          11 

1       "          13 

1  engine  shaft 15 

1  air"  shaft 12 

,    Total 60 

Strike,  east  and  west;  dip,  north  41°.     Power,  four  feet. 
Working  fourteen  fathoms  below  water  line. 


MOUNT   WASHINGTON  MINE,  FRENCH   GULCH,  SHASTA  COUNTY. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  State  this  company  were  pioneers  in  this  branch  of 
industry.  The  mine  and  reduction  works  are  situated  on  French  Gulch,  about 
two  miles  from  the  town,  and  on  the  Shasta  and  Yreka  Roads. 

Simultaneous  with  many  of  the  openings  made  in  the  early  part  of  1852,  in 
the  middle  and  south  part  of  the  State,  this  company  located  and  opened  their 
lode  in  this  region.  During  that  year  and  the  subsequent  one,  a  considerable 
amount  of  loss  was  sustained  in  their  operations,  arising  from  the  unsystematic 
methods  adopted  in  working.  The  lode  was  found  to  be  valuable,  and  the  utmost 
confidence  was  reposed  in  its  productions,  but  the  necessity  of  a  radical  change  in 
the  conduction  of  their  operations  became  apparent  to  all  concerned,  in  order  to 
insure  success  and  profit  from  their  property. 

Accordingly  a  new  directorship  was  the  first  result  of  the  above  conclusion, 
and  which  saved  the  mine  literally  from  total  abandonment. 

On  the  advent  of  the  new  administration  the  mine  was  heavily  involved,  but 
by  the  month  of  September,  1853,  the  entire  liabilities  were  discharged  from  the 
proceeds  of  the  mine,  over  and  above  expenses.  During  that  year  the  company 
drove  an  adit  at  an  expense  of  $1,800,  which  was  130  feet  in  length,  and  opened 
a  line  of  level  together  with  the  adit,  which  amounted  in  their  aggregate  to 
nearly  300  feet.  During  the  latter  part  of  1853,  and  to  the  close  of  the  year 


50 

ending  August,  1854,  they  had  expended  in  improvements  on  the  mine,  $1,080 
additional,  in  placing  the  workings  in  a  stable  condition. 

The  employees  upon  the  mine  during  the  latter  period  averaged  nine  men  for 
each  month  during  the  year,  at  an  aggregate  expense  of  $1,360  per  month,  inclu 
sive  of  board;  and  the  incidental  expenses  amounted  to  about  $175  per  month 
additional. 

The  receipts  from  the  mine  during  the  same  period  were  as  follows : 

September,  1853 $7,341  20 

October,         "      5,012  00 

November,     "       4,508  58 

December,     "       3,262  80 

January,  1854 5,246  40 

February,   "      4,170  20 

March,        "      6,777  20 

April,          " 5,420  45 

May,           "      3,280  40 

June,           "      2,618  80 

July,           "      2,594  40 

August,      " 3,000  00 

$53,232  43 

Cash  capital $7,000 

Expenses  for  year 16,320 

Dead  Work '     2,880 

Receipts $53,232  43 

Expenses 19,200  00 

Balance $34,032  43 

From  the  above  statement  it  will  be  observed,  that  from  May  to  August  there 
is  a  diminution  in  the  monthly  receipts.  This  occurred  from  the  failure  of  water 
during  those  four  months  to  that  extent  that  not  over  one-half  running  time  was 
actually  made,  the  water  for  the  motive  power  being  derived  from  the  creek  on 
which  the  mine  is  situated. 

The  lode  is  situated  superiorly  in  slates,  and  inferiorly  in  the  trap  rock.  The 
ores  are  peculiar,  and  differ  somewhat  in  their  general  appearance  from  most  of 
the  ores  of  other  mines.  The  attendant  metallic  compounds  are  lead,  molyb 
denum,  arsenic,  iron,  and  a  small  quantity  of  copper,  all  in  the  form  of  sul- 
phurets,  but  much  more  intimately  blended  than  is  usual  in  other  parts  of  the 
State.  Associated  with  these  is  metallic  gold,  easily  visible,  but  more  commonly 
invested  by  its  associated  minerals.  It  is  probable  that  a  considerable  per  cent- 
age  of  silver  abounds  in  these  ores,  though  no  absolute  experiment  has  as  yet 
been  instituted  to  ascertain  that  fact.  The  following  is  the  present  condition  of 
the  mine  and  its  workings,  with  expenditures  and  receipts  for  1855 : 

Since  the  latter  part  of  1854  an  adit  has  been  driven  two  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,  which  cuts  the  main  lode  ninety  feet  from  the  surface.  The  upper  level's 
have  been  driven  to  the  length  of  five  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet,  and  from  the 
western  end  of  the  latter  an  inclined  shaft  has  been  driven  on  the  lode  to  the 
depth  of  thirty-two  fathoms.  In  the  course  of  driving  on  the  lower  adit  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet,  several  beds  of  ore  amounting  to  twelve  feet  in  thickness 


. 

51 

were  driven  through,  each  containing  gold,  but  insufficient  to  warrant  its  extrac 
tion  in  preference  to  the  main  lode. 

The  train-way  from  the  mouth  of  the  mine  to  the  reduction  works  has  been 
completed,  and  is  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  length.  It  is  carried  over  two  inclines 
of  eight  hundred  and  twenty-seven  feet  in  length  each,  and  has  cost  for  its  com 
pletion,  $5,400.  The  running  time  for  1855  has  amounted  to  eight  months  only, 
the  balance  of  the  year  being  lost  from  insufficiency  of  water  for  power  in  part, 
and  necessary  improvements. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Number  of  men  employed,  12. 

3  Miners,  $90  per  month $270 

2  Battery  Tenders,  $60  per  month • 120 

1  Superintendent,  $150  per  month 150 

4  Stokers,                    50       "             200 

1  Blacksmith,             70       " 70 

1  Cook,                        60       "             60 

Incidentals,                  50       " 50 

$920 

Ore  reduced  per  month,  117  tuns.     Average  value,  $24  62  per  tun. 
Aggregate  ore  reduced  for  eight  months,  936  tuns.     Aggregate  value,  $22,132. 

Dead  Work $6,090 

General  Expenses 7,360 

$13,450 
Balance  in  favor $8,682 


CONDITION    OF    MINE    WORKS. 

Feet 

1  Level , 522 

1  Level 222 

1  Level  .  97 


Total  Levels 841 

Fathoms. 

1  Shaft 30 

1  Shaft 12 

1  Shaft 23 

Total  Shafts 66 

Depth  below  water  line,  twenty-two  fathoms. 


52 


MARBLE  SPRING  MINE. 

This  mine  is  situated  on  a  "branch  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Merced  River,  in 
Mariposa  County,  and  the  highly  metalliferous  character  of  the  quartz  and  the 
uniformity  of  its  yield  in  gold  renders  it  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  quartz 
mines  of  California. 

The  ore  is  a  grayish  blue  quartz,  very  hard  and  solid,  containing  large  quanti 
ties  of  sulphurets  of  iron,  zinc  and  lead,  the  latter  predominating.  From  ten  to 
twenty  per  cent,  of  the  ore  consists  of  sulphurets.  The  gold  yielded  is  of  a  low 
degree  of  fineness,  not  averaging  over  790-1000,  and  giving  so  great  a  proportion 
of  silver,  that  taken  in  connection  with  the  argentiferous  galena  produced  and  the 
general  appearance  of  the  ore,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  mine  may,  when  more 
extensively  and  deeply  worked,  prove  to  be  a  silver  mine ;  it  now  bears  all  the 
appearance  of  what  the  Mexicans  call  oroche. 

Thie  mine  was  discovered  and  located  in  the  summer  or  fall  of  1851,  by  Silcott, 
Bunyon,  McPhane,  Harvey,  Humphries  and  Davenport,  and  by  them  sold  to  the 
Empire  State  Quartz  Mining  Company.  New  claims  have  been  located  in  con 
tinuation  of  the  same  vein  by  the  present  proprietors,  and  it  is  now  claimed  by 
them  to  the  extent  of  about  1,760  yards. 

The  general  course  of  the  vein  is  nearly  north  and  south,  passing  along  the 
back  of  a  ridge  of  high  hills,  along  whose  base,  Upon  one  side,  flows  the  Marble 
Spring  Creek,  and  upon  the  other,  the  North  Fork  of  the  Merced. 

The  vein  lies  between  trap  rock  upon  the  upper  side  and  slate  on  the  lower, 
and  all  the  ore  is  obtained  by  blasting.  It  stands  at  an  angle  of  about  fifty 
degrees,  and .  has  kept  an  average  width  of  two  to  three  feet,  and  increasing  in 
bieadth  downward. 

The  advantageous  position  of  the  vein  has  rendered  it  unnecessary  to  sink 
shafts.  Four  tunnels  have  been  run  in,  each  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  perpen 
dicular  hight  the  one  above  the  other,  and  starting  at  the  base  of  the  hill  and 
continuing  upon  and  in  the  direction  of  the  vein,  northerly.  Their  respective 
lengths,  commencing  at  the  lowermost,  are  three  hundred  and  fifty,  two  hundred 
and  fifty,  two  hundred  and  one  hundred  feet.  They  have  been  opened  up,  one 
into  the  other,  and  the  trap  rock  taken  from  above  the  vein  has  been  used  to  stow 
away  in  the  place  of  the  quartz  taken  out,  leaving  the  tunnels  about  six  feet  high 
•and  five  feet  wide,  for  the  conveyance  of  the  ore  from  the  drifts.  The  ore  is  con 
veyed  in  cars  upon  train  ways  from  each  tunnel  direct  to  the  mill,  which  stands 
within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  mouth  of  the  openings. 

The  total  amount  of  ore  taken  out,  to  the  commencement  of  the  present  work 
ing  season,  has  been  1,300  tuns,,  the  whole  of  which  has  been  reduced  without 
selection,  and  has  yielded  $56,197  in  gold,  being  an  average  of  forty-three  dollars 
per  tun  of  2,000  pounds. 

The  ore  is  delivered  in  the  mill  at  a  cost  of  about  five  to  six  dollars  per  tun. 
The  works  at  the  mines,  in  addition  to  the  necessary  out-buildings,  smith-shops, 
etc.,  at  this  time  consists  of  a  steam  mill,  having  an  engine  of  fifteen-horse  power, 
running  ten  stamps  of  five  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  each,  and  capable  of  reduc 
ing  to  a  fine  powder  ten  to  fifteen  tuns  of  crude  ore  per  day  of  twenty  hours. 

The  process  of  collecting  the  gold  consists  of  blankets,  Goddard's  Amalgamat 
ing  Tubs,  and  lastly,  a  newly 'invented  riffle  box. 

The  fuel  used  is  pine  wood,  of  which  great  abundance  is  found  in  the  imme 
diate  vicinity,  and  is  deliveied  at  the  mill  for  four  to  five  dollars  per  cord. 

The  number  of  hands  required  and  the  wages  paid  are  as  follows : 


53 

Superintendent  of  Workmen,  per  month $100 

"                 Amalgamating 150 

First  Engineer •.  .  130 

Second  Engineer . 75 

Carpenter 60 

Teamster 50 

2  Stamp  Feeders,  each  $50 100 

Cook 50 

6  Miners,  $80  each 480 


$1,195 

In  addition  to  salaries,  all  the  employees  are  boarded,  which  costs  the  establish 
ment  about  twenty  dollars  per  month  for  each  man. 


PITTSBURG  MINE,  NEAR  NEVADA,  NEVADA  COUNTY. 

This  mine  was  located  in  the  month  of  September,  1850,  by  the  present  pro 
prietor,  R.  S.  Whigham.  After  its  location  and  during  the  following  year,  the 
engine  and  appurtenances  for  reduction  were  manufactured  for  this  mine  in  Pitts- 
burg,  and  shipped  in  November  of  the  same  year. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1852,  the  engines  and  batteries  were  erected  and  ready 
for  running,  and  during  that  month  went  into  operation. 

During  the  erection  of  the  mill,  house  and  machinery,  a  shaft  had  been  sunk 
on  the  vein  to  the  depth  of  seven  fathoms,  and  an  adit  driven  two  hundred  and 
sixty  feet,  which  cut  the  lode  at  this  point,  at  right  angles  to  its  strike ;  a  level 
was  then  driven  northward  for  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet,  which  gave  the  same 
length  of  backs  on  the  lode  ready  for  excavation. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  a  train-road  was  laid  from  the  mouth  of  the  adit  to 
the  mill,  a  distance  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  feet. 

From  the  month  of  June,  1852,  to  the  end  of  the  year  (June,  1853,)  the  mine 
was  in  active  and  constant  operation,  obtaining  the  ore  exclusively  from  the  Pitts- 
burg  lode,  the  yield  of  which  varied  from  ten  to  fifty  dollars  per  tun,  the  aver 
age  for  the  year  being  twenty-four  dollars  and  ninety  cents  per  ton.  At  this  time 
the  mine  was  leased  to  the  West  Mariposa  Quartz  Mining  Company  for  a  period 
of  two  years,  their  lease  expiring  on  the  25th  of  June,  1855. 

The  operations  of  this  company  were  under  the  principal  superintendence  of 
S.  M.  Murry,  the  English  company's  agent,  who,  with  his  attaches,  commenced 
operations  in  their  characteristic  style,  and  closed  out  their  labor  department  in 
1854,  with  the  exception  of  such  as  required  the  use  of  ink  and  paper  only. 

At  the  time  this  company  took  charge  of  the  Pittsburg  Mine  it  was  well 
opened,  and  in  good  working  condition.  They  had  driven  an  adit  but  a  short 
distance  south  of  the  former  workings,  when  a  peculiar  idea  seized  the  minds  of 
the  Directors,  that  the  lode  would  run  out  at  some  future  time,  if  they  persisted 
in  following  its  legitimate  and  well-defined  course.  Accordingly,  an  order  was 
issued  to  cease  operations  on  the  lode,  and  to  drive  in  a  direction  at  nearly  right 
angles  to  the  strike  of  the  vein,  that  they  might  strike  it  again  at  a  point  some 
distance  ahead,  where  the  merest  novice  would  see  that  such  an  event  would  be 
a  total  impossibility,  from  the  line  of  cutting  adopted,  and  the  distinct,  well 
marked  course  of  the  river. 

At  the  point  of  the  new  workings  they  left  a  lode  whose  power  was  sixteen 
inches,  and  had  increased  nearly  four  inches  in  twenty-seven  feet  on  the  line  of 
strike ;  and  after  driving  as  directly  as  possible  to  the  distance. of  ninety-three  feet 


away  from  the  vein,  they  arrived  at  the  sage  conclusion  that  the  lode  had  run 
out,  and  reported  accordingly  to  the  parties  by  whom  they  were  employed. 

In  this  case  we  hare  one  of  those  strange  feats  of  nature,  that  are  so  remarka 
bly  rare  in  their  occurrence  that  they  are  regarded  as  phenomena  of  great  inter 
est,  and  find  a  place  in  annals  of  science,  to  be  handed  down  to  posterity. 

This  was  no  other  than  an  optical  delusion  on  the  one  hand,  and  an  extraordi 
nary  pre-vision  on  the  other.  For  in  the  one  case  their  optical  powers  would  not 
permit  them  to  discern  an  eighteen-inch  lode  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length, 
over  which  they  were  obliged  to  pass  constantly  in  and  out  of  the  mine,  and  on 
the  other  hand  their  mental  powers  were  of  sufficient  strength  to  descry  a  lode 
one  hundred  feet  beneath  the  surface,  and  ninety-three  feet  from  any  point  that 
one  could  possibly  exist. 

The  result  of  these  operations  was,  that  they  had  the  effect  of  nearly  ruining 
one  of  the  most  valuable  mines  in  the  State,  and  at  the  expense  of  about  $20,000 
for  their  stockholders  at  home.  This  magnificent  failure  (to  call  it  no  worse 
name,)  of  the  foreign  company,  soon  made  the  Pittsburg  Mine  a  by-word 
rather  than  anything  else,  and  injured  that  property  to  an  extent,  that  had  it 
been  put  under  the  hammer  it  is  doubtful  if  the  whole  concern  would  have 
brought  the  first  cost  of  the  engine,  and  a  more  sad  mistake  was  never  made  than 
the  lease  of  this  property  under  the  circumstances. 

There  is  no  censure  that  is  too  severe  for  conduct  like  the  above.  On  the  25th 
of  June,  1855,  the  proprietors  again  came  in  possession  of  the  property  by  the 
expiration  of  the  lease,  and  at  the  time  I  visited  the  mine  they  had  repaired  their 
machinery,  and  had  commenced  the  reduction  of  ores  again  from  the  mine.  The 
period  in  which  ore  had  been  reduced  from  Pittsburg  Hill  was  about  two 
months,  and  at  no  time  had  it  yielded  a  less  sum  than  twelve  dollars  per  tun,  and 
ranging  from  that  to  forty-six  dollars  per  tun,  thus  showing  that  the  mine  was 
worked  with  its  former  success. 

How  is  it  that  men  unskilled  in  metallurgy  and  mining  can  succeed  in  this  man 
ner,  and  such  universal  defeat  mark  the  progress  of  men  making  high  pretensions 
in  those  departments,  who  have  been,  and  still  are,  engaged  in  the  same  branches 
of  industry  in  our  midst  ?  I  am  not  disposed  to  reproach  or  criminate  where  it 
is  not  justly  due,  but  at  the  same  time  I  cannot  permit  some  things  to  pass  unno 
ticed  where  a  State  is  to  be  the  sufferer,  even  though  it  may  prejudice  the  private 
interests  of  friends,  acquaintances  or  individuals. 

This  subject  is  by  no  means  exhausted.  Much  more  might  be  said  than  here 
committed,  not  only  in  relation  to  this,  but  other  operations  similar  in  character. 
But  I  have  no  desire  to  drag  personal  conduct  and  management  into  a  public 
document,  it  is  far  more  fitting  for  a  private  journal. 

I  have  thus  far  seen  no  reason  to  retract  one  syllable  from 'the  remarks  that 
may  be  found  on  page  Eighty-Four,  Document  No.  Fourteen,  Session  of  1855,  but 
each  additional  feature  that  presents  itself  relating  to  this  subject  would  only 
place  that  language  in  a  still  stronger  position. 

The  following  statistics  will  show  the  operations  of  this  mine  for  1853,  the  full 
running  time  being  nine  months,  the  period  named  would  constitute  at  that  time 
the  workings  for  one  year. 

Number  of  men  employed,  eighteen. 

8  Miners,  at  $100 $800 

4  men  at  Mill,  $4  per  day 416 

1   Carman 50 

1  Shaft  Tender 60 

1  Engineer 100 

1         "  75 


55 

2  Battery  Tenders,  at  $75 150 

3  cords  Wood  per  day 234 

Incidentals 208 

Total  monthly  expenses $2,093 

Engine  and  Mill $30,000 

4  Shafts 1,344 

1  Adit 2,080 

1  Level   3,120 

1  Train  Way 6,720 

Total  dead  work $43,264 

Aggregate  ore  reduced,  4,680  tuns.     Average  yield  per  tun  $24  90. 

Aggregate  monthly  expenses $18,937 

receipts 112,320 

Balance  in  favor 50,000 


RECAPITULATION. 

, 

Fathoms. 

4  Shafts 7 

Feet. 

1  Adit 260 

1   Level 260 

1  Train  Road 560 

Working  three  fathoms  below  water  line. 

This  brief  history  and  statistical  matter  of  those  mines,  from  which  we  have 
the  returns  of  their  operations  for  the  periods  given,  is  sufficient  to  show  the 
healthy  and  stable  condition  of  this  branch  of  employment,  and  their  yield  is 
fully  sufficient  to  warrant  all  that  I  have  said  in  former  reports  relating  to  their 
intrinsic  value.  The  rapid  increase  in  the  number  of  mines,  during  the  past 
three  years,  may  also  be  taken  as  an  evidence  of  success ;  more  particularly  so 
when  it  is  known  that  this  speeies  of  property  does  not  appear  as  stocks  either  in 
foreign  or  domestic  markets. 

Their  rise  and  advancement,  therefore,  cannot  be  attributed  to  speculation,  or 
jobbing,  at  home  more  particularly,  for  here  this  property  has  not,  as  yet,  divested 
itself  of  those  opprobriums  that  unprincipled  speculators  (who  were  more  willing 
to  earn  their  living  by  any  other  means  than  legitimate  labor,)  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  inconsiderate  manner  of  investment  and  working  on  the  other,  attached 
themselves,  like  deadly  parasites,  during  the  days  of  its  comparative  infancy. 
But  a  kind  Providence  interposed,  and  soon  produced  a  finale  to  their  brilliant 
career. 

Unsupported  by  any  of  those  extraneous  influences  usually  brought  to  the  sup 
port  of  faltering  mining  property,  they  have  lived  beyond  the  possible  reach  of 
further  injury  from  the  causes  that  have  hung  with  so  heavy  a  weight  upon  the 
reputation  and  integrity  of  gold  mining  in  California.  It  would  be  interesting 
to  review  their  past  history  in  full,  did  time  permit,  for  each  mine  would  furnish 


56 

a  goodly  amount  of  valuable  instruction  of  itself;  but,  as  a  condensed  view  will 
serve  our  purpose  equally  well,  and  at  the  same  time  convey  a  clear  idea  of  their 
advancement  and  progress,  this  course  will  be  pursued.  I  will  thus  state  the 
number  of  mines  that  could  be  considered  in  full  operation  from  1852  to  the 
close  of  1855,  a  period  of  three  years,  the  figures  being  the  aggregate  at  the  end 
of  each  year. 

In  the  beginning  of  1852,  the  number  of  mines  that  continued  to  the  close  of 
that  year  was  fourteen.  At  the  close  of  1853,  the  number  had  increased  to 
thirty-nine.  At  the  end  of  1854,  their  numbers  amounted  to  fifty-one.  And  at 
the  close  of  1855,  the  total  number  is  sixty-five. 

In  addition  to  the  total  for  1855,  as  above,  there  are  thirteen  companies  open 
ing  their  lodes,  preparatory  to  the  commencement  of  erecting  reduction  works 
and  the  reduction  of  their  ores.  But  as  no  reduction  works  are,  as  yet,  erected, 
they  are  not  included  as  in  actual  operation. 

I  have  pursued  the  uniform  rule,  never  to  consider  a  mine  as  having  a  legiti 
mate  existence  until  it  has  been  in  operation  one  full  year  in  the  reduction  of 
ores.  For  if  it  can  sustain  itself  during  that  period,  and  prudently  managed,  it 
is  certain  to  do  more  than  this  subsequently,  in  this  State. 

The  strict  adherence  to  this  rule  has  brought  us  to  the  above  result,  as  regards 
the  number  actually  engaged,  and  which  may  be  considered  among  the  perma 
nent  things  of  the  State.  But  had  a  departure  from  this  rule  been  adopted,  and 
every  little  vein  on  which  a  mere  scratch  had  been  made,  recorded  as  a  mine  in 
operation,  we  should,  if  honest,  have,  been  obliged  to  chronicle  failures  equally 
numerous  with  those  that  occurred  during  the  "  great  crash  "  in  this  business  in 
1852.  The  greater  part  of  those  failures  were  in  mines  of  this  character,  and 
many  of  them  even  worse  than  this,  viz :  failures  from  having  no  lode  whatever. 

Such  operations  are  not  legitimate  mining,  and  it  is  a  harsh  rule  to  judge 
legitimate  operations  by.  To  apply  such  a  rule  would  be  equally  consistent  with 
the  striking  illustration  of  Mr.  Everett,  who,  a  short  time  since,  in  lecturing 
before  a  public  body,  elucidated  the  comparative  value  of  gold  and  the  products 
of  agriculture,  by  which,  through  immense  labor,  he  proved  to  his  wondering  and 
delighted  audience,  that  the  product  of  that  metal  from  the  mines  of  this  State, 
for  five  years,  amounting  to  nearly  three  hundred  millions,  did  not  equal  in  value 
the  entire  products  of  agriculture  of  all,  the  States  inhabited  by  our  Atlantic 
neighbors.  If  their  aggregate  had  not  been  sufficient  to  have  swamped  us,  in 
this  herculean  estimate,  he  could  have  fallen  back  on  the  world  at  large,  and  the 
wonder  is  that  he  did  not  do  so. 

It  was  to  be  hoped  that  the  day  had  passed  by,  when  we  were  to  suffer  such 
prejudicial  detraction  from  men  of  high  character  and  education,  but  it  seems 
otherwise.  In  years  gone  by,  men  of  small  capacities  indulged  in  such  material 
to  astonish  and  delight.  "Former  precedent "  of  our  capacities  in  the  production  of 
gold  was  their  guide,  but  that  pedestal  has  slipped  from  beneath  their  feet,  and 
they  are  now  silent.  But  the  above  comes  from  a  higher  source,  and  conveys 
more  meaning  than  floats  upon  its  surface.  What  heinous  act  have  we,  as  a 
people,  committed,  that  Atlantic  savans  should  thus  seize  every  opportunity  to 
detract  from  even  the  small  amount  of  credit,  which,  on  fitting  occcasions,  they 
are  willing  to  acknowledge  is  our  due.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  send  them  from 
fifty  to  sixty  millions  per  annum,  for  the  material  which  each  year  they  force 
upon  our  markets,  and  furnish  large  sums  for  many  of  their  internal  improvements 
to  the  prejudice  of  our  own,  but  we  must  then  be  coolly  told  that  the  labor  of 
eighty-six  thousand  men  does  not  equal  that  of  the  balance  of  the  Union.  And 
would  thus  insinuate  an  idea,  which  their  tongues  would  parch  at,  did  they 
attempt  boldly  to  utter.  I  hope  I  may  not  have  misconstrued  the  import  of  the 
remarks  alluded  to,  but  I  can  place  no  other  construction  upon  them. 


57 

In  the  appended  tables  will  be  found  tlie  aggregate  product  of  eighteen  mines, 
for  the  years  1854  and  1855,  presenting,  in  a  condensed  form,  the  results  of 
each ;  and  for  the  items  from  which  these  figures  have  been  derived,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  history  of  the  individual  views  in  the  preceding  pages. 

From  these  returns,  some  approximate  estimate  may  be  made  of  the  character 
and  importance  of  this  branch  of  employment,  and  the  position  that  we  maintain 
as  a  mining  State,  compared  to  one  of  the  greatest  mining  nations  on  the  globe. 

In  carefully  reviewing  the  operations  of  the  English,  Welsh  and  Irish  mines, 
for  forty-three  years,  and  those  of  Cornwall  and  Devon,  the  close  of  1847  pre 
sents  us  with  some  interesting  facts  and  figures  relating  to  the  product  of  those 
mines,  and  by  which  we  may  form  some  estimate  of  the  value  of  our  own. 

From  the  Welsh,  Irish,  and  English,  mines,  there  were  raised  and  sold  in 
forty-three  years  the  amount  of  417,040  tuns  of  copper  ores,  being  the  product  of 
ninety-one  mines  for  the  above  period.  Upon  this  ore  I  place  an  average  value  of 
fourteen  pounds  sterling  per  tun,  being  a  higher  sum  than  would  be  claimed  for 
those  ores  by  those  best  acquainted  with  their  value. 

Their  aggregate  would  therefore  be  equal  to  $29,192,800,  giving  an  average 
product  for  each  year  from  the  ninety-one  mines  of  $681,730  per  annum. 

The  product  of  one  hundred  and  three  mines  of  copper  in  Cornwall  and  Devon, 
ending  in  1847,  amounted  to  37,000  tuns,  which,  at  the  same  price  as  the  above, 
gives  us  an  aggregate  of  $13,076,015  as  their  value. 

The  total  number  of  mines  engaged,  it  will  be  seen,  amounts  to  the  number  of 
one  hundred  and  ninety-four,  the  aggregate  product  of  which  in  value,  is  $42,- 
268,815. 

This  shows  us  an  average  per  annum,  from  the  total  number  of  mines,  of  the 
sum  equal  to  $972,763. 

During  1854  eleven  of  the  gold  mines  of  this  State  produced  $777,790  ;  and  in 
1855  eighteen  mines  produced  the  amount  of  $2,216,697,  being  an  increase  of 
$1,438,907  over  that  of  the  preceding  year.  The  aggregate  product  in  value 
from  the  total  number  of  mines  in  two  years  being  $3,016,951.  Tims  we  find 
that  the  mines  of  copper  of  the  United  Kingdom,  and  amounting  to  one  hundred 
and  ninety-four  in  number,  do  not  produce  an  annual  aggregate  in  value  equal  to 
eighteen  mines  of  gold  in  our  own  State. 


RECAPITULATION    OF    THE    PRODUCT    OF    ENGLISH    COPPER    MINES. 

91  Irish,  Welsh  and  English  Mines  produced  in  forty -thrfce  years 

the  value  of $29,192,800 

103  Mines  of  Cornwall  and  Devon,  ending  at  same  date 13,760,015 

Total. $42,952,815 

Aggregate  and  average  product  per  annum $972,763 


RECAPITULATION    OF    THE    PRODUCT    OF     CALIFORNIA    GOLD    MINES. 

11  Gold  Mines  of  California  produced  in  one  year,  1854 $777,790 

18  "  "  "  "  "  1855'.... 2,239,161 


Total $3,016,951 

Aggregate  and  average  product  per  annum $1,625,520 

8 


58 

Prior  to  this  time  speculation  has  been  the  principal  guide  in  the  estimates  of 
gold  mining  in  this  State,  but  at  the  present  time  we  have  something  more  tangi 
ble  to  rest  upon ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  hereafter  those  engaged  in  this 
employment  will  not  so  stubbornly  withhold  statistical  matter,  so  necessary  in 
forming  opinions  in  regard  to  any  branch  of  business  whatever.  We  cannot 
establish  the  integrity  of  our  mines  by  any  other  means,  and  so  long  as  it  is  with 
held  it  must,  and  will,  cast  a  shade  of  doubt  on  all  such  operations.  It  is  a  known 
fact,  that  nearly  every  mine  in  active  operation  in  1854  declared  at  the  end  of  the 
year  a  handsome  profit  on  investment  and  labor,  yet  it  is  impossible  almost  to 
draw  any  facts  from  the  proprietors  of  the  greater  portion  of  them. 

I  have  in  my  possession  at  the  present  moment  the  receipts  of  eight  additional 
mines  for  1855,  obtained  from  parties  indirectly  interested,  and  on  whom  reliance 
can  be  placed,  but  with  whom  it  would  be  a  breach  of  confidence  to  make  public 
the  figures  furnished.  I  have  omitted  their  publication  for  this  and  an  additional 
reason,  viz :  that  the  expenses  of  these  mines  for  the  same  period  are  unknown. 
These  figures  would  swell  the  amount  already  given  for  the  past  year  to 
$3,641,090. 

Had  we  the  full  returns  of  the  product  of  the  fifty-two  mines  that  have  con 
tinued  in  operation  through  the  past  year,  it  would  be  safe  to  presume  that  their 
aggregate  product  would  fall  but  little  short  of  $6,000,000. 


59 


TABLE 


Exhibiting  the  number  of  Mines  from  which  returns  have  been  received  up 
to  1854  and1S55J  with  their  depth,  in  fathoms,  below  the  water  line  and 
amount  of  ores  in  tuns  reduced ;  together  with  the  aggregate  receipt  from 
the  same. 


NAMES. 

Depth  be 
low  water 

1854. 
Ores  raised. 

1855. 
Ores  raised. 

1854. 
Keceipts. 

1855. 
Eeceipts. 

Badger 

feet. 
26 

tuns. 

tuns. 
1  080 

$35  000 

Midian    

12 

840 

9000 

Union  

21 

1  000 

18  000 

Keystone                    .  . 

23 

2  204 

3  000 

$52  000 

60  000 

Eureka   

It 

1  400 

1  296 

48  000 

33000 

Pacific  

9 

1  924 

39000 

Experimental  «  .  . 
Mammoth  

4 
3 

1  095 

1,000 
1  095 

12,000 

28  000 

Sprin(r  Hill 

It 

900 

2  074 

20  000 

46000 

Herbertville    .    . 

28 

3  400 

1  200 

72  000 

20  000 

Rocky  Bar  

14 

1  200 

1  000 

47  000 

40  000 

2  088 

2  674 

32  000 

36  000 

Osborn  Hill    

12 

4  680 

3  120 

104  000 

78  000 

Empire  

12 

5  200 

4  680 

130  000 

116000 

Mt  Washington 

16 

2  670 

936 

56  000 

22  464 

Helvetia  &  Lafayette  . 
Marble  Springs  
Pittsburg          .    . 

14 
9 
3 

4,160 
To  date. 
3  000 

4,000 
4,320 
1  000 

100,000 
112  000 

74,000 
56,197 
19  000 

Totals  

..  .  $777,790 

$2,2*39,161 

Total  f 

or  1854 

and  1855 

.   1 

13,016.951. 

EXAMINATION    OF    THE   SULPHURETS   OF   IRON   FROM   QUARTZ 
CONTAINING   GOLD. 

These  sulphurets  were  taken  from  the  tailings  of  mines  in  different  parts  of  the 
State,  and  examined,  to  detect  any  metallic  gold  that  might  be  contained  in  them. 

The  process  pursued  to  extract  the  metal  is  one  that  would  be  practicable  on 
the  large  scale,  and  was  adopted  as  a  means  of  illustrating  the  practical  results 
obtainable  by  those  means  if  fully  carried  out,  and  long  since  suggested. 

A  detail  of  the  process  may  not  be  amiss,  though  containing  nothing  that  is 
new. 

The  sulphurets  were  separated  from  the  sand  by  washing,  and  dried.  After 
being  thoroughly  dried,  they  were  introduced  into  a  shallow  porcelain  capsule 
and  roasted  at  a  clear  red  heat,  being  constantly  stirred,  and  the  heat  continued 
until  all  fumes  of  sulphur  were  dissipated.  The  mass  at  this  time  has  the  appear 
ance  of  a  coarse  brownish-black  powder,  which,  on  being  reduced  to  a  fine  pow 
der,  presented  all  the  appearances  of  being  entirely  peroxydized,  and  in  this  state 
was  of  an  red  iron-rust  color. 

It  is  to  this  condition  that  it  is  necessary  to  bring  this  mineral  in  order  to 
extract  any  gold  by  amalgamation  that  it  may  contain. 

After  thus  reducing  to  a  powder  the  calcined  sulphuret,  it  was  washed  and 
amalgamated,  and  from  the  amalgam  the  following  results  were  obtained  : 

The  quantity  used  being  one  ounce  avordupois  in  each  case. 

Spring    Hill    Mine    gave  6-Sths  grain,  equal  to  $270  per  ton. 

Mt.  Washington  Mine,    "  3-16ths  '  135 

Osborn  Hill  Mine,          "  5-16ths  *  225 '      " 

Empire  Mine,                  "  l-8th  '  90  " 

Eureka  Mine,                  "  3-16ths  *  135  " 

Badger  Mine,                  "  l-9th  '  80  " 

Lafayette  and  Helvetia  Mine,  1-8 th  "  90  u 

The  grain  of  gold  in  these  cases  is  estimated  at  the  value  of  three  cents,  its 
fractional  value  being  omitted. 

The  results  are  what  may  be  expected  in  mill  work,  if  properly  conducted,  and 
do  not  represent  the  absolute  amount  of  gold  contained  in  these  minerals.  Chem 
ical  analysis  will  show  a  much  greater  amount  of  metal,  and  would  have  been 
presented  in  connection  with  the  above  had  it  been  completed  in  sufficient  time 
for  this  report. 

I  am  well  persuaded  that  if  the  above  process  had  been  conducted  with  that 
strict  care  pursued  in  close  and  rigid  investigations,  that  at  least  twenty-five  per 
cent,,  would  have  been  added  to  the  above  figures.  My  object  was  to  present  the 
probable  amount  of  gold  that  might  be  expected,  from  the  reduction  of  those 
minerals  by  a  similar  process  on  a  large  scale,  and  which  are  now  rejected  and 
thrown  away. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  amount  of  gold  that  is  thus  thrown  away 
each  year  from  these  mines,  but  a  comparison  of  the  average  yield  of  the  ores  of 
the  mines  of  the  State  generally,  will  show  that  the  amount  is  certainly  very 
large. 

The  yield  of  these  sulphurets  is  about  seven  times  greater  than  the  produce  in 
the  first  instance  in  the  majority  of  the  cases,  and  they  compose  about  twenty 
per  cent,  of  the  ores  as  they  come  from  the  mine.  This  being  the  case,  we  cer- 


61 

tainly  sustain  a  loss  of  at  least  two  hundred  per  cent,  above  the  aggregates  that 
are  realized  from  the  working  of  these  ores,  which  would  place  the  amount  of 
metal  that  escapes  equal  to  six  millions  of  dollars  from  the  eighteen  mines,  whose 
operations  are  reported  for  1855. 

I  have  repeatedly  suggested  to  miners  the  saving  and  separation  of  these  sul- 
phurets,  by  those  means  that  are  used  for  the  separation  and  saving  of  metallic 
minerals  less  dense  than  the  sulphurets  of  iron,  and  much  less  valuable.  But,  as 
yet,  no  such  means  have  been  adopted,  or,  at  least,  but  very  imperfectly,  and  is 
to  be  regretted  that  more  attention  is  not  bestowed  upon  this  subject. 


ANALYSIS  OF  SALINE  WATERS  FROM  LICK  SPRINGS,  SHASTA  CO. 

The  analysis  of  these  waters  was  recently  made  by  Dr.  L.  Lanswert,  and  the 
results  are  as  follows : 

The  quantity  used  for  quantitative  purposes  was  one  gallon. 

Solid  matter  contained  in  one  gallon  water — 

Grains. 

Chloride  Sodium,  (common  salt) 1,168  •  0 

Sulphate  Soda 104  •  0 

Borate  Soda 9*6 

Borate  Lime 12  •  8 

Proto  Sulph.  Iron |  270  •() 

Sulphate  Lime,  Alumina  and  Silica  j    

Loss 35*6 

Total  grains  per  gallon 1,600  •  0 

In  addition  to  the  above,  considerable  quantities  of  the  boracalcite  of  hazes  is 
found  upon  the  surface  and  on  the  rocks  adjoining. 

These  springs  yield  about  twelve  gallons  water  per  minute,  or  an  amount  equal 
to  17,280  gallons  per  day. 

From  the  analysis  we  find  that  at  the  present  time  they  are  capable  of  pro 
ducing  of  solar  salt,  2,628  pounds;  borax,  331  pounds;  borate  lime,  458  pounds, 
together  with  a  heavy  amount  of  free  boracic  acid. 

"This  product  will  be  equal  to  the  amount  of  $3,793  tuns  of  salt,  556  tuns  borax 
and  659  tuns  borate  of  lime. 

On  comparing  the  waters  of  these  springs  with  those  of  Tuscany,  (which  is  the 
principal  source  of  supply  of  the  borax  of  commerce  for  the  world,)  it  is  found 
that  they  produce  naturally  an  amount  nearly  equal  to  four  times  that  of  the 
Italian  Springs. 

The  Tuscan  springs  require  two  hundred  pounds  of  water  at  their  highest  point 
of  saturation  to  produce  one  pound  of  the  boracic  acid  of  commerce ;  this  latter 
contains  but  about  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  article  when  refined. 

The  springs  of  Shasta  produce  from  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pounds  water 
one  pound  of  the  refined  borax  of  commerce,  in  addition  to  the  other  associated 
salts. 

It  will  be  seen  then,  from  the  character  of  these  waters,  that  in  a  short  period 
hence  these  articles  will  become  materials  of  export  from  our  shores,  and  form  an 
important  article  in  commercial  transactions. 


63 


GOLD  MINES  IN  OPEEATION  IN  1855. 


NAMES. 

Location. 

County. 

When 
t>peU 

Power. 

Directors. 

Mt.  Washington, 

French  Gulch, 

Shasta, 

1851 

Water, 

Mr.  Swartz. 

Eureka, 

Seventy-Six, 

Plumas, 

1851 

14 

"  Coulter. 

Mammoth, 

i       « 

u 

1851 

« 

"  McGee. 

Ariel 

Downieville  Buttes,  Sierra, 

1852 

It 

Copper  Hill, 

Minnesota, 

(4 

1855Steam, 

"  Gaston. 

German  Bar, 

Middle  Yuba, 

14 

1853  Water, 

Lararnie's, 

Grass  Yalley, 

Nevada, 

1852  Steam, 

"  Laramie. 

Whiteside's, 

u 

1852 

It 

"  Whitesides 

Boston, 

« 

1852 

tl 

"  Cheevan. 

Lafayette  &  Helvetia 

« 

1852 

It 

"  Conaway. 

Empire, 

14 

1852 

It 

"  Hotaling. 

Osborn  Hill, 

« 

1852 

tl 

"  Crossett. 

Orleans, 

EToaston  Hill, 

u 

1854 

It 

"  Stackhouse 

Gold  Hill, 

jrass  Valley, 

u 

1851 

tl 

"  Atwood. 

Mt.  George, 

Vft.  George, 

it 

1852 

tl 

"  Roberts. 

Canada  Hill, 

Canada  Hill, 

u 

1852 

It 

Pittsburgh, 

Nevada  Road, 

11 

1851 

It 

'  Whigham. 

Wyoming, 

Deer  Creek, 

It 

1851 

Water, 

'  Lambert. 

Gold  Tunnel, 

Nevada, 

11 

1851  Steam, 

'  Kidd. 

Illinois, 

Deer  Creek, 

ft 

1851  Water, 

'  Adams. 

Rocky  Bar,* 

Glrass  Valley, 

tl 

1855  Steam, 

1  Seyton. 

North  Carolina, 

Rough  &  Ready, 

It 

1855 

« 

1  Hirsch. 

National, 

South  Yuba, 

tl 

1855J  Water, 

1  Raymond. 

Cro3sus, 

Auburn, 

Placer, 

1852  Steam, 

1  Langdon, 

Pennsylvania, 

Humbug  Cafion, 

it 

1855 

K 

1  M'Martree 

Volcano,* 

Sarahville, 

it 

1855 

it 

'  Hancock. 

Sierra  Nevada, 

Grizzly  Flat, 

El  Dorado, 

1851 

Water, 

1  Knox. 

Eagle, 

14 

1852 

u 

1  McKain. 

Mt.  Pleasant, 

11 

1851 

11 

'  Steely. 

Maryland, 

Placerville, 

1854 

11 

Pacific, 

a 

1854 

11 

"  Smith. 

American, 

n 

1855 

11 

Union, 

Aurum  City, 

1852 

Steam, 

"  Foster. 

Tennessee,* 

Consumnes  River, 

1855 

44 

11  Ray. 

Columbus, 

Cold  Springs, 

1855 

Water, 

Marion,* 

Volcanoville, 

1855 

Steam, 

"  Baker. 

Cornucopia, 

Logtown, 

1854 

u 

Mills  &  Co., 

Cousumnes  River, 

1855 

Water, 

"  Mills. 

Hermitage, 

Ridge, 

1855 

Steam, 

"  Hoover. 

Pochontas, 

Logtown, 

1855 

n 

Ranchoree, 

Ranchoree, 

Amador, 

1853 

Water, 

"  Williams. 

Amudor, 

Amador, 

(4 

1852 

Steam, 

*  Resumed  Mines. 


64 


GOLD  MINES— CONTINUED. 


NAMES. 

Location. 

County. 

When 
ope'd. 

Power. 

Directors. 

Spring  Hill, 

Amador, 

Amador, 

1852 

Steam, 

Mr.  Burke. 

Keystone, 

ii 

1852 

ii 

"  Manning/ 

Midian, 

Herbertville, 

1854 

Water, 

"  Maxan. 

Herbertville, 

(i 

1852 

u 

"  Davis. 

Eureka, 

Sutter, 

1852 

it 

"  Murray. 

Union,* 

u 

1855 

ii 

"  Tibbetts. 

Badger, 

« 

1854 

u 

"  Hay  wood. 

Onieda, 

Jackson, 

1852 

Steam, 

Grass  Valley, 

Grass  Valley, 

1855 

Water, 

"  Smith. 

Drytown, 

Drytown, 

1855 

it 

"  McGrady. 

Palmer  &  Co., 

Dry  Creek, 

1855 

u 

"  Williams. 

Kingston  &  Co., 

Drytown, 

1855 

u 

"  Glover. 

Butte, 

Butte  City, 

1855 

II 

"  Huffalker. 

Foote  &  Lindsay, 

Mokelumne  River, 

Calaveras, 

1855 

(1 

"  Lindsay. 

Lone  Star, 

N.  F.  Mokel.  River, 

u 

1855 

II 

"  Wade. 

Texas, 

N.  &  M.  F'ks  Mok., 

u 

1855 

II 

"  Raymond. 

Wood  House,* 

«                    a 

il 

1855 

il 

Experimental, 

Columbia, 

Tuolumne, 

1854 

1C 

"  Pownell. 

Wheeler  &  Co., 

Big  Oak  Flat, 

n 

1855 

1C 

"  Wheeler. 

Marble  Springs, 

N.  Fork,  Merced, 

Mariposa, 

1851 

(I 

"  Wheeler. 

Washington, 

Quartsbnrg, 

« 

1852'Steam, 

Ortega, 

Bear  Valley, 

u 

1852 

11 

Agua  Frio, 

Agua  Frio, 

II 

1852 

u 

"  Atwood. 

Kesumed  Mines. 


65 


ALTITUDES 

BY    BOILING   POINT   AND    BAROMETER. 


COUNTIES. 

Town  and  Position. 

No.  Obser 
vations. 

Boiling  Point. 

Altitude. 

Levels. 

Barometer. 

Yuba, 

Camptonville, 

8 

0                 '              II 

207     20     20 

2,388 

2,401 

a 

Foster's  Bar, 

6 

209     30     00 

1,371 

1,300 

n 

Oregon  Hill, 

2 

204     80     00 

3,677 

San  Bernardino, 

San  Bernardino, 

6 

210     20     00 

909' 

(4 

El  Chino, 

4 

210     80     00 

636: 

Los  Angeles, 

Hill  San  Pedro, 

1 

209     40     00 

1,544 

a 

Los  Angeles, 

12 

211     40     50 

250 

Nevada, 

Nevada  Bridge, 

12 

209     80     25 

1,852 

1,810 

ii 

Sugarloaf  Peak, 

5 

207     00     20 

2,535    2,475 

2,551 

n 

Grass  Yalley, 

4 

207     80     30 

2,090 

2,021 

" 

Omega, 

4,800 

tt 

Omega  Hill, 

••5,750 

5,650 

n 

Omega  E.  Ridge1 

"6,380 

6,350 

ft. 

Ridge  B.  Yalley 

-•7,000 

7,088 

" 

Hodge's  House, 

"5,162 

5,300 

BearY  alley  Gapj 
"                   'Omega  Gap, 

f5,376 
;f5,162 

5,400 
5,200 

Cabin  Gap, 

f5,088 

5,110 

"                  .'Mountain  Gap, 

f5,239 

5,210 

JBear  Valley, 

f4,786 

Steep  Hollow,    j 

t4,720 

4,780 

"                   tMount'n  Spring,: 

5,340 

a 

Alpha, 

5,266 

Placer, 

Auburn,                    4        208     80     30 

1,072     1,080 

1,372 

" 

Illinois  town,             3 

207     80     00 

2,234 

2,301 

u 

Mineral  Bar,            3       209     00     30 

1,121 

it 

Mount'n  Spring,        4        208     00     30 

2,090 

a 

Iowa  Hill,              12 

205     60     30 

*3,299 

H 

Brush  Can.  Brg.        2 

208     20     00 

1,947 

Brush  Can.  Hill, 
"                     Yankee  Jim's, 
"                     Michigan  Bluffs 

o 

<L) 

3 

207     60     30 
205     80     00 
205     20     30 

2,230 
3,185 
3,492 

3,241 
3,504 

jBaker's  Ranch,         1        205     60     30 

3,285! 

^Forks'  House,    \      2       205     00     00 

3,622 

El  Dorado,         Placerville, 

'  H     i  207     80     20 

2,109 

2,058 

"                 ,Coloma, 

4 

210     20     30 

835 

857 

"                 Georgetown, 

4 

207     10     30 

2,433 

2,484 

[Bottle  Hill, 

1 

207     00     00 

2,389 

"                 El  Dorado, 

2       209     30     20 

1,371 

1,430 

Araador,             Herbertville, 

3     !  210     20     30        980 

1,004 

*  Corresponds  wfth  a  series  by  Dr.  Blake. 

9 


t  By  Mr.  Homfrey,  Engineer. 


66 


ALTITUDES— CONTINUED. 


COUNTIES. 

Town  and  Location. 

No.Obser- 
vations. 

Boiling  Point. 

Altitude. 

Levels. 

Barometer. 

Amador, 

Sutter, 

5 

0                 '               " 

210     20     15 

919 

988 

n 

Jackson, 

3 

210     00     30 

934 

Calaveras, 

Mokelumne  Hill 

8 

208     60     30 

1,681 

Tuolumne, 

Sonora, 

6 

208     00     30 

1,971 

a 

Shaw's  Flat,             3 

207     20     30 

2,270 

t 

Columbia,    -             3 

207     00     30 

2,314 

2,166 

i 

Montezuma,             3 

207     40  '  30 

1,787 

Sierra, 

Downieville, 

2,044 

n 

Galloway's, 

3,586 

u 

Ariel  Mine, 

6,090 

"                    JButte, 

I 

8,846 

Mariposa, 

Agua  Frio, 

-2,665 

Mt.  Ophir, 

-2,635 

Killaly's  Ridge, 

-5,000 

Bullion  Knob, 

-5,000 

Steptoe's  Lode, 

-3,020 

Harodia's  Ridge 

-5,125 

!  Simpsonville, 
Quartz  Station, 

-2,865 
-2,880 

!  Ridley's  Ferry,  ; 

-1,450 

t  By  Mr.  Homfrey,  Engineer. 


• 


